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  1. VIETNAM TODAY

Hailstorm and strong winds batter Nghe An

A hailstorm and strong winds damaged hundreds of homes and large areas of crops in the central province of Nghe An with preliminary losses estimated at nearly VND 12 billion (USD 456,000).

The storm struck Thanh Binh Tho Commune on Sunday evening, bringing hail, thunder and powerful gusts that lasted nearly 25 minutes.

Local residents said some hailstones were as large as eggs, smashing roof tiles and forcing families to seek shelter as debris fell inside homes.

Hailstorm and strong winds batter Nghe An - 1
Authorities clear hailstorm and wind damage in Thanh Binh Tho on May 4 

Preliminary assessments showed 193 houses were damaged or had their roofs blown off, while a local community hall also lost its roof.

Authorities said the Cay Mit suspension bridge spanning the Con River was displaced by the storm, raising safety concerns for traffic.

The storm also caused extensive agricultural losses, with more than 112 hectares of rice and nearly 20 hectares of maize flattened, much of it suffering damage exceeding 70 per cent.

Hailstorm and strong winds batter Nghe An - 2
A wedding marquee flattened by strong winds in Thai Nguyen Province on May 2

Local authorities, police and militia forces were deployed overnight and on Sunday morning to help residents clear debris and repair damaged roofs.

Thunderstorms accompanied by whirlwinds, lightning and hail that struck northern Vietnam on May 2 left 12 people injured and 2,077 homes damaged or unroofed, according to Vietnam’s Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention.

The hailstorm and strong winds affected Hanoi and several northern provinces, with injuries reported in Thai Nguyen and Tuyen Quang.

They also damaged around 2,300 hectares of rice and crops, while 16 schools, five community halls and 72 power poles were damaged.

Source: Dtinews
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