VIENTIANE: Three people were killed in Xaysomboun province on September 29 after the storm Bualoi unleashed heavy rain and flash floods, damaging homes and farm land across several provinces of Laos.
Authorities in Xaysomboun confirmed that three residents of Korhai village in Anouvong district lost their lives when the storm swept through the area.
The storm brought torrential rain and flash floods that devastated homes and farm land, and cut off access to several roads. The storm was followed by heavy rainfall and the full extent of the damage is yet to be assessed.
Xaysomboun province’s Governor, Phoykham Houngbounyuang, visited affected communities on September 29. He urged officials to expedite relief measures and instructed them to conduct a full damage assessment.
In Savannakhet province, several days of continuous rain inundated Champhon and Xonnabouly districts. More than 1,365 hectares of rice fields across 18 villages were flooded, while irrigation systems, schools, roads and bridges sustained damage.
The Governor of Savannakhet, Bounchom Ubonpaseuth, inspected the affected areas on September 30 and pledged to provide rice seeds to farmers whose fields were damaged. He distributed food items, drinking water and cash to affected households.
Despite the water receding in some areas, many families remain in urgent need of essential supplies, according to the Social Economic Daily Newspaper.
In Huaphan province, Viengxay and Xamtay districts were hit by heavy rain on September 29. Rising rivers flooded farm land and houses, causing considerable damage. Local officials said emergency assistance is underway, with a detailed report of the losses expected soon.
On October 1, many villages in Phonhong district and Feuang district, both in Vientiane province, were affected by flooding but there is no official report on the damage and casualties.
The Meteorology and Hydrology Department had reported that many provinces were at high risk of flooding and landslides when the storm Bualoi hit the country during September 29-30. - Vientiane Times/ANN
