Hanoi (VNA)🐓 - Heavy rain in the past four days in central Vietnam triggered floods that claimed eight lives, submerged nearly 1,000 houses, and forced thousands to evacuate, authorities said on November 5.

It continued to rain heavily on November 4, causing serious flooding in many areas, and threatened the lives of many residents including students in Khanh Hoa province. Three seventh-grade students of Tran Nhan Tong Secondary School in Khanh Hoa's Dien Khanh District drowned after falling into a pit at a construction site in early this week, police said. The students fell into a 30m-long and 2m-deep pit when they stopped to play by the roadside after school, the police said. The pit, which had been dug by a road construction firm, was filled with water because it had rained earlier. However, the construction agency had not placed any warning signs for residents. The fourth student, 11-year-old Nguyen Thi Xuan Quyen, died while she was riding her bicycle to school on November 2 morning. Due to the heavy rain, the road was inundated and resulted in Quyen falling into the canal and being washed away. Quyen's body was found the next day. Tran Minh Nghi, 42, resides in Nha Trang city reportedly died after she fell into a river on Monday, and Phung Vo, 76, from Ninh Hoa town was reported missing while going fishing on November 3. The Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue in Khanh Hoa province, said the rain had flooded 1,000 houses and affected a lot of shrimp breeding ponds. On November 4 morning, the Phu Kieng wooden bridge in Nha Trang city's Vinh Ngoc commune was swept away as the water level in Cai River rose. The Phu Kieng wooden bridge over the Cai River, links three villages on the other side of the river with the centre of Vinh Ngoc commune. Le Van My, chairman of Vinh Ngoc commune's People's Committee said the destruction of the bridge could cause problems for residents living on both sides of the river. He also said residents were hoping that a new bridge would be constructed as soon as possible to reduce traffic accidents. Heavy rain combined with high tides caused severe landslides at the fishing port of Tuy Hoa City's Ward 6 in Phu Yen province. Local authorities have evacuated residents in the coastal areas to safety, while using rocks and sandbags to protect coastal erosion. Meanwhile, tidal waves caused severe erosion in Cua Lo area, of Binh Trung village, Tam Hai commune in Quang Nam province's Nui Thanh district, threatening the lives of dozens of households. Tran Ngoc Huu, chairman of Tam Hai commune, said that up to 12m of land was lost every year due to storms. According to the disaster prevention department for Central and Central Highlands, heavy rain was expected in the provinces from Quang Binh to Ninh Thuan, which would continue for several days. The rains could bring floods in the central provinces of Quang Tri to Khanh Hoa. The provinces also face the risk of flash floods and landslides in the mountainous areas.-VNA