UPDATE - China to block river water flow as floods batter Vietnam

Hanoi had asked Beijing to regulate flow of water in Red River as northern parts of Vietnam face one of the biggest disasters

UPDATES WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT; CHANGES HEADER, DECK

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Wednesday said it will block the flow of water as its southern neighbor Vietnam has been battered by heavy floods which killed at least 127 people, while 54 others are missing, state media reported.

Beijing and Hanoi have “maintained a close and good communication on cooperation in flood control and prevention,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

“China is blocking and storing water at hydropower stations on the main stream of the Red River in support of Vietnam's fight against floods,” said Mao.

Beijing’s decision to block water flow came after Hanoi had asked China to regulate the flow of river water as severe weather conditions battered the Southeast Asian nation.

“We will continue to maximize the function of relevant hydropower stations in reducing peaks and replenishing droughts, so as to jointly combat floods caused by Super Typhoon Yagi on the China-Vietnam border,” the ministry spokeswoman told the reporters in Beijing.

Hanoi had sent a diplomatic note to Beijing over the flow of water in the Red River.

The river is known as Hong River in China and Song Cai in Vietnam.

Vietnamese officials held discussions with Chinese counterparts seeking mitigation and “support in implementing measures to reduce the risk" of flooding in the Red River basin.

Typhoon Yagi is the strongest typhoon in the past 30 years.

Authorities in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi raised the alert level amid fears of a disaster risk.

Mostly northern parts have been badly affected as floods caused breaches and damaged bridges, as well as roads.

To help the affected people, the Vietnamese government deployed thousands of military personnel to carry out relief and rescue operations in the affected areas.

More than 50,000 people from coastal cities have been evacuated due to the typhoon.

Typhoon Yagi, which struck the northern regions of the Philippines on Sept. 3, caused severe rain, flooding, and landslides.

The typhoon, which hit China’s Hainan province on Sept. 7, led to the deaths of four people and injuries to 95 others.

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