Central Vietnam death toll rises to 55 from flooding, landslides

(Reuters) -The death toll from torrential rain, flooding and landslides in central Vietnam has risen to 55, with 13 people reported missing, the country’s disaster agency said on Saturday.

Rainfall exceeded 1,900 mm (74.8 inches) in some parts of central Vietnam over the past week. The region is a major coffee production belt and home to popular beaches, but it is also prone to storms and floods.

Nearly half of the fatalities were in Dak Lak province, where 27 people have died, while 14 people have died in Khanh Hoa province.

The government estimates the flooding has cost the economy around 8.98 trillion dong ($341 million).

Over 235,000 houses were flooded and nearly 80,000 hectares of crops were damaged, Vietnam’s disaster agency said.

($1 = 26,349.0000 dong)

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores in Manila; Editing by Tom Hogue)