HCMC - Torrential rains triggered by Storm Mulan have killed five people and seen two others go missing in the northern provinces of Lao Cai, Phu Tho, and Hoa Binh.

According to a quick report of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, as of the afternoon of August 12, heavy downpours caused by the storm, the second that has hit Vietnam this year, had killed five people and left two missing. In Lao Cai, a person, whose body has yet to be found, was swept away by flashfloods. At the same time, another was also reported dead in Phu Tho. Elsewhere in Hoa Binh, flashfloods claimed three lives and left two missing. According to the forecast, medium to heavy rains, packed with thunderstorms, will continue to strike Hanoi, Thanh Hoa and other northern areas. Meanwhile, rainfalls are estimated to range from 20 to 50 mm, even over 80 mm in some places. There is a high possibility of storms, lightning and gusts during the thundershowers, causing a high risk of flashfloods and landslides in the mountainous provinces and flooding in low-lying areas. However, the rains are forecast to decrease tonight. On August 11, Mulan brought heavy rains to localities in the Northwest region, resulting in the rising river and stream water levels, landslides and traffic jams in some places. On the morning of August 12, many areas in Hanoi were flooded with chaotic traffic and prolonged congestion due to heavy downpours. Rainfalls, from 7:00 p.m. on August 11 to 8:00 a.m. on August 12, were recorded at over 180 mm: Cam Thuy (Thanh Hoa) 182.8 mm, Ngoc Son (Hoa Binh) 188.6 mm, Huong Son (Hanoi) 221.4 mm, Tam Duong (Vinh Phuc) 241.2 mm and Dong Lai (Hoa Binh) 270.8 mm.