Flooding in Vietnam kills 41, submerges homes after days of heavy rain
NHA TRANG, VIETNAM - Rescuers have been pulling residents from rooftops as severe flooding continues to ravage central Vietnam, with authorities reporting at least 41 deaths as of Thursday. Torrential rains that began in late October have repeatedly battered the region, hitting popular tourist destinations and causing widespread damage.
In coastal Nha Trang, entire city blocks were submerged, with hundreds of vehicles underwater. Local business owner Bui Quoc Vinh, 45, said his 24th-floor apartment remained safe, but his shops and restaurants on the ground floor were under about three feet of water, while his employees’ homes were submerged under roughly seven feet. Rescuers in Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces used boats to reach stranded residents, prying open windows and breaking through roofs to carry people to safety.
The Environment Ministry said at least 41 people have died across six provinces since Sunday, with nine still missing. More than 52,000 homes were flooded, nearly 62,000 people evacuated, and major roads blocked by landslides, while about a million households were left without electricity.
In the highlands near Da Lat, landslides blocked most access routes, leaving the city largely deserted as tourists canceled trips. A landslide blocked a 328-foot stretch of Mimosa Pass, and other routes were closed due to risk. Train services between northern and southern Vietnam were also suspended.
Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung ordered local authorities to deploy the army, police, and other security forces to evacuate residents to safety. Flooded hospitals in Quy Nhon were provided with food and water after patients and staff survived for three days on minimal supplies.
Rivers in the region hit record levels, with the Ba River in Dak Lak surpassing a 1993 record and the Cai River in Khanh Hoa also reaching historic highs. Rising waters carried dangerous materials, including 100 barrels of sulfuric acid from a sugar factory, prompting warnings for residents to stay clear.
The floods come on top of a year already marked by natural disasters, which have killed or left missing 279 people and caused more than $2 billion in damage from January through October. While Vietnam typically experiences heavy rainfall from June to September, scientists say human-driven climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe.
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