¡¡¡¡HANOI, Aug. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Floods and torrential rains have killed seven people, injured more than 30 others and damaged more than 8,300 houses in five central and southern provinces of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency reported Friday.

¡¡¡¡According to the latest report from the Central Highland province of Dac Lac, by Aug. 21, floods had seriously affected seven out of the province's 19 districts, causing four deaths, one injury, submerging nearly 1,500 houses, 6,154 hectares of rice andnearly 2,000 hectares of other crops. The total losses were estimated at 45.5 billion Vietnamese dong (VND) (3 million US dollars).

¡¡¡¡In southern province of An Giang, three people were killed by flooding.

¡¡¡¡In southernmost Ca Mau province, heavy rains and whirlwinds occurring from Aug. 19 to Aug. 21 injured nearly 30 people. Additionally, nearly 100 houses were pulled down or unroofed, and nearly 20,000 hectares of rice and 30,000 hectares of shrimp breeding areas inundated. The provincial sea dyke system was damaged. Losses were estimated at nearly 3 billion VND (200,000 USdollars).

¡¡¡¡Meanwhile, the Mekong river has been swelling and its water level has reached the highest danger level in some places, reported the National Centre for Meteorology and Hydrology.

¡¡¡¡The water levels in the Tien and Hau rivers have been rising ata speed of 10 cm a day. It is forecast that rivers in the upper reaches of the Mekong delta will continue rising in the coming days. Enditem¡¡