Hanoi's Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control yesterday opened Thanh Liet Floodgate to discharge water from Nhue River into To Lich River, to ease rising flood waters and prevent flooding in the nation's capital.

Grocers sort out farm produce at a traditional market in Ha Noi City's Bach Dang Street. Torrential rain triggered by tropical stormMangkhut has caused the price of fruit and vegetables to increase in Hanoi.

The decision came after Nhue River overflowed at several locations yesterday morning due to torrential rains caused by tropical storm Mangkhut.

Average rainfall reached approximately 200mm during the past few days, causing the river to swell.

The city's High Command also sent of hundreds of soldiers to control the rising flood waters.

Deputy director of the city's Agriculture and Rural Development Department Ha Duc Trung said, "this is the second time the city has to open the floodgate to save Ha Noi since the historic flood in 2008."

There is a strict process and district co-ordination involved with opening the floodgate, he said.

The floodgate was opened as Nhue River's water levels overwhelmed To Lich River, he said.

Authorities assigned the Ha Noi Sewerage and Drainage Company to open the gate.

Trung added that the company needed to discharge water from Nhue River into To Lich River using the Thanh Liet Floodgate and proceed to pump the rising water into Hong (Red) River via the Yen So Pumping Station.

"We do not calculate exactly how long the flood gate would be opened, it almost depends on the amount of water from Nhue River that need to be discharged", he said.

The measure reduced imminent flooding for both the outer and inner districts of the city in 2008, he said.

Nhue River is 76km in length and runs from Tu Liem District to Ha Nam Province.

One killed

A 56-year-old Dao ethnic man was struck by lightning and killed yesterday morning in northern mountain Lao Cai Province. The man is the fourth casualty resulting from deadly storm Mangkhut.

Storm Mangkhut, the sixth tropical storm of this year, weakened as a tropical low pressure system on Thursday after creating landfall in the country's north-eastern provinces.

The storm brought flash floods and caused landslides and widespread damage to communities.

The storm also wreaked havoc to the agricultural sector, with food shortages pushing up prices.

The price of vegetable is nearly doubled by yesterday morning while water spinach increased by 71 per cent to VND12,000 a bunch, according to Nguyen Bich Nguyet from Hai Ba Trung District.

Hoang Thi Van, a grocer at Hanoi's Yen Phu market, said that vegetable supplies were lower than normal at the market.

"And the price is doubled," she said.

Prices seemed to have little effect on sales as customers looked to stockpile food to last the remainder of the storm, according to Van.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, weather today afternoon was expected to be sunny.