Vietnam floods have claimed 13 lives as of Friday, as residents of the affected city of Hoi An gear up to tackle the cleanup operations around the area.
Floods triggered by record levels of rainfall have swept through central Vietnam over the past days, with the UNESCO-listed former imperial capital Hue and Hoi An the worst hit.
According to local media, a significant part of the two cities remained under floodwater, with some houses submerged up to their roofs.
Vietnam is prone to often deadly storms and flooding that cause widespread property damage, especially during the storm season from June until October.
In Hoi An, a well-preserved ancient town that was once a bustling Southeast Asian trading port from the 15th to 19th centuries, floodwaters began to recede Friday.
Tourism, a key part of the country's economy, has also been rocked, as most tourists have cancelled their hotel bookings for Hoi An, which last year received more than 4.4 million visitors, including nearly 3.6 million foreign tourists.
The floods have also left 11 people missing, destroyed more than 116,000 houses and 5,000 hectares of crops, and damaged roads and railways, cutting off traffic and power in several areas, the government’s disaster agency said in a report.
Heavy rain is forecast to continue in central Vietnam, with daily rainfall exceeding 19 inches in some areas from early Friday until late Saturday.
