Catastrophic flooding and landslides have claimed at least 43 lives in central Vietnam after the region was battered by relentless torrential rains, with the national weather agency warning more destruction is imminent.
A Region Submerged
The downpour, which has seen rainfall exceed a staggering 1,500mm in several areas over just three days, has triggered a humanitarian crisis. The Department of Dyke Management and Flood and Storm Control confirmed the death toll is spread across several provinces, with 16 fatalities in Dak Lak, 14 in Khanh Hoa, five in Gia Lai, four in Lam Dong, and two each in Thua Thien Hue and Da Nang.
The sheer force of the weather was starkly illustrated when a suspension bridge on the Da Nhim River in Lam Dong province was completely swept away on Thursday morning. Video footage captured the structure being swallowed by the raging river in a matter of seconds.
Widespread Damage and Economic Impact
The flooding has had a devastating impact on infrastructure and the local economy. Power outages initially affected over one million customers, though crews have managed to restore electricity to approximately 615,000 households. The preliminary economic damage is estimated at a colossal VND3 trillion (£86.93 million).
Transport has been severely disrupted, forcing the closure of Tuy Hoa Airport in Phu Yen province for nearly 14 hours. The region's vital coffee production belt is under threat, with traders reporting that the floodwaters are severely hampering the harvest.
Humanitarian Crisis and Rescue Efforts
Desperate pleas for help have emerged from stranded residents. In one instance, a resident of Khanh Hoa province posted on a local Facebook page, "Any group out there please help! We've been sitting on the roof since 10 pm last night, including kids and adults." The post was accompanied by a photograph of people huddled on a metal roof as rain lashed down.
In response, the defence ministry has mobilised a significant relief operation, deploying 21,300 personnel and 838 vehicles to assist residents. Military aircraft have been pressed into service, airlifting nine tons of food and essential supplies to isolated communities. Naval forces have also been deployed in Khanh Hoa, where floodwaters have reached record highs.
The government's disaster management agency reports that at least nine people remain missing. The floods have inundated more than 52,000 houses and submerged over 15,000 hectares of crops. Amid the tragedy, there was a glimmer of hope when a seven-year-old girl was rescued in Da Lat after being buried by a landslide for an hour and a half. She was pulled out with a broken leg and rushed to hospital.
As scientists warn that a warming climate is intensifying storms and rainfall across Southeast Asia, this disaster underscores the growing vulnerability of flood-prone nations like Vietnam to increasingly destructive and frequent extreme weather events.
