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07:55 GMT, Wednesday, 5 November 2008

Flood chaos in China and Vietnam

A girl and her bicycle are carried on a raft through a flooded street in Hanoi, Vietnam on 4 November 2008

The toll from flooding and landslides in Vietnam and south China is rising, with at least 51 dead in China and reports of 92 dead in Vietnam.

In the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, a clean-up is beginning after floods swept across the north of the country.

Parts of south-western China have been hit by the worst flooding in more than a century, Chinese state media said.

Heavy rain over the past 10 days has caused landslides and mud-rock flows in the province of Yunnan.

At least 43 people are missing in China's south-west, official media reported.

Century's worst

The China Daily newspaper said the downpours in Guangxi province caused the worst floods in its capital Nanning since 1907.

Hundreds of soldiers, police and medical teams have been sent to the flooded areas, along with rice and clothing for the victims.

More than 60,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since Tuesday, state media added.

In Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, four people died and torrents of mud have flowed through towns and villages elsewhere, the China Daily said.

Heavy storms have blocked roads, destroyed crops and homes, damaged reservoirs and dams, and caused $100m (£63m) in economic damage, state media said.

Vietnam clean-up

Weather forecasters in Vietnam said the country had suffered the worst rains in 35 years.

At least 74 people are confirmed to have died in the floods in Hanoi and northern Vietnam in over a week of heavy rain - though the Associated Press news agency quotes Vietnamese authorities as saying the total had risen to 92 people.

Life is returning to normal in the capital as a huge clean-up gets under way.

Residents found more than 30cm (1ft) of mud in their homes at the height of the flooding.

Pumping stations are at work removing millions of cubic metres of water from the capital's neighbourhoods.

Dykes across the Red River delta, intended to protect the capital city, have been a focus of concern, with troops on standby.

Although the region suffers annual deluges, this year counts among the worst experienced in recent years.



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Related to this story:
Floods kill 49 people in Vietnam (02 Nov 08 |  Asia-Pacific )
Seven die in Vietnam flash floods (19 Oct 08 |  Asia-Pacific )
Dozens killed in Vietnam floods (09 Aug 08 |  Asia-Pacific )
Vietnam floods 'leave 100 dead' (11 Aug 08 |  Asia-Pacific )
Country profile: Vietnam (06 Aug 08 |  Country profiles )

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