How residents face harsh weather in northern Vietnam   The only buffalo of La Van Sy, a local in the northern province of Cao Bang, died as the temperature plummeted to minus six degrees Celsius. Tuoi Tre he cold snap that is hammering some northern Vietnamese locales has caused serious damage for local residents. These days, snow has covered most of the provinces in the north, including Lao Cai, Ha Giang, and Yen Bai. Several north-central provinces such as Nghe An and Thanh Hoa, as well as Ba Vi District in Hanoi, have also been affected by the frosty weather conditions. The temperature in Pho Bang Village in the Dong Van rock plateau plunged to around 10 degrees Celsius on Monday afternoon, forcing locals to build fires to keep warm. Poor children in the areas have no choice but to face the frigid weather in their search for food with their thin coat on. Pham Xuan Tien, chief of the Ha Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the snowfall would bring about immense devastation, as most crops would be destroyed while animals such as buffalo and cows may die en masse. Many people have lost tens of millions of dong as the cold front destroyed their rose, radish, bean, and vegetable crops. According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the cold weather events will last until Wednesday, greatly affecting localities from the north to the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. The lowest temperature in Hanoi had been estimated at 8-9 degrees Celsius but the huge cold snap currently hitting the northern region caused it to plunge to 5.4 degrees Celsius on January 24 at 9:00 am. This is the lowest point since January 31, 1977. The vegetable garden of Giang Thi Xai in the resort town of Sa Pa is covered with snow. Photo: Tuoi Tre Poor children in the areas have no choice but to face the frigid weather in their search for food with their thin coat on. Photo: Tuoi Tre A child, of the Mong ethnic group, is seen having lunch in a makeshift tent in Lao Cai Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre A child of the Dao ethnic minority in Cao Bang Province suffers from minus eight degrees Celsius. Photo: Tuoi Tre The cold snap freezes water in a container of a family in Ha Giang Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre A buffalo dies from the cold in Lao Cai Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre A local shows his damaged radishes due to the heavy snowfall. Photo:Tuoi Tre A local is pictured moving her buffalo to a warmer place to avoid the cold snap in Lao Cai Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre A driver in Sa Pa is seen using firewood to warm up his truck’s oil tank. Photo: Tuoi Tre Women of the Red Dao ethnic minority in Sa Pa gather around a fire to keep themselves warm. Photo: Tuoi Tre TUOI TRE NEWS