4 injured, 7 missing in Vietnam floods

THUA THIEN-HUE, Vietnam, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Four people were injured and seven were reported missing Sunday after heavy rains and flooding struck central Vietnam, officials said.

More than 20,000 homes were threatened by landslides in Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Quang Tri provinces and hundreds of dwellings had their roofs blown off in the storms, Viet Nam News reported Sunday.

Torrential rains have submerged homes and roads in the provinces, which were inundated by 3-foot-high waves of floodwaters, officials of the National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control told reporters.

Viet Nam News said Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai toured the flood scenes Saturday and offered help to the victims. He reportedly visited the uncompleted Binh Dien hydroelectricity plant and urged workers to quickly finish it, saying the electricity it will provide could greatly help with flood relief efforts.