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30 killed in Vietnam floods

Vietnam - Torrential floods hit capital Hanoi
Vietnam - Torrential floods hit capital Hanoi

Floods triggered by torrential rains in northern and central Vietnam have killed at least 30 people.

More than half of those who died were killed in the capital Hanoi, which was hit by the worst flooding in more than two decades.

More flash floods are expected in the northern and central provinces later today and tomorrow.

Floods continue to affect the Hoang Long, Buoi and Ca rivers in northern Vietnam .

State media said at least 18 people were killed by the floods in Hanoi, believed to be the heaviest to hit the capital since 1984.

Many streets in downtown and on the outskirts of the capital remain under water and residents have been seen fishing on the streets near the city's biggest lake West Lake.

Up to 400mm of rain has pounded Hanoi since Friday, halting traffic, while landslides had eroded many sections of the north-south Ho Chi Minh highway in Thua Thien-Hue province.

Vietnam's main agricultural area, including the Central Highlands coffee belt and the Mekong Delta rice basket, have not been affected by the floods, although rain disrupted coffee harvesting this week.

The harvest is due to peak in mid-November in the Central Highlands, two weeks earlier than usual, but rain could prolong the drying process and damage bean quality, traders have said.

Typhoons and floods have killed several hundred people in northern and central provinces since the start of this year. The flood and storm season ends next month in the central region, which is widely exposed to the sea.