Vietnam is rushing to clean up Hoi An to prepare for a planned visit by world leaders as part of APEC’s program.
Tuoi Tre reports that by this morning, November 8, the flooding has mostly subsided in the central Vietnam resort town. However, as the water recedes, streets in Hoi An are also caked in mud and littered with trash, as well as debris from the recent landfall of Typhoon Damrey.
Video via YouTube user Barry Minister.
Thus, military leaders from the 5th Military Region ordered some 550 soldiers in nearby localities to help with clean-up efforts. Officers from this region are stationed in central Vietnam, including the Central Highlands and the central coast.
At the moment, the People’s Committee of Hoi An City has also employed the help of 500 local residents to prepare the city for a visit from many of the APEC leaders' spouses.
According to the newspaper, the city has finished restoring around 30% of venues included in Vietnam’s APEC itinerary. Hoi An officials predict that by tomorrow, local streets will be ready for decorations.
Zing also reports that the deluge of flood water started drying up on November 7. Most heritage buildings on Le Loi, Tran Phu and Phan Chau Trinh Streets were no longer waterlogged. Residents of the town are no stranger to flooding, as it is located in a low-lying area.
Typhoon Damrey was the worst natural disaster to hit provinces in south-central Vietnam in two decades. At the time of writing, the Vietnam Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention estimates that the storm has claimed 82 lives, up 13 from an earlier report released on November 6, reports Tuoi Tre in a separate post.
Photos via Zing.
[Top photo via Tuoi Tre]
