HANOI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Natural disasters in Vietnam left 68 people dead or missing and caused estimated economic losses of over 3.9 trillion Vietnamese dong (about 150.5 million U.S. dollars) in the first nine months of this year, the Vietnam News Agency reported Tuesday.
The country recorded 20 types of natural disasters during the period. These disasters destroyed 237 houses and damaged or unroofed 24,584 others, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority.
The disasters inundated or damaged 127,353 hectares of rice and other crops, while 64.5 kilometers of roads were affected by landslides, the report said.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep stressed the need to strengthen local authorities' preparedness for natural disasters. ■