Typhoon Narra wreaks havoc in China, Vietnam as rains lead to floods

BEIJING: Floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Narra battered northern Vietnam and China's southern region of Guangxi, as accompanying heavy rains damaged infrastructure and crops.

Rising floodwaters prompted China to relocate about 54,000 people, including 8,087 moved to emergency shelters, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Days of heavy rain in northern Vietnam brought by Narra killed one and displaced more than 4,300 households.

Narra lingered over the Beibu Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Tonkin, but weather officials said it would not make landfall, and instead bring downpours in the north.

Vietnam's mountainous provinces of Lang Son and Cao Bang received between 236mm and 300mm of rain in the 24 hours to Monday (Aug 24) morning, triggering floods and landslides.

Floods also affected Vietnam's Quang Ninh, home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay, inundating parts of the city and disrupting tourism, fishing and transport.

The typhoon disrupted daily school and office activities, and snapped power links to nearly 55,000 families, authorities said, while destroying more than 10,000ha of rice and other crops.

In China, the waters of 15 rivers rose beyond warning levels at monitoring stations. Brown floodwaters engulfed parts of Chongzuo city in CCTV video, submerging roads and clusters of low-rise structures.

Chinese rescuers in rubber boots waded through knee-deep water, with some using boats to evacuate stranded residents.

Torrential rain is forecast for Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian in downpours expected to last through Wednesday, CCTV said.