Vietnam Floods Kill 90, Leave Residents Stranded and Highways Blocked
HANOI, Vietnam — Flooding and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain have killed at least 90 people in south-central Vietnam over the past week, authorities said Sunday, as rescue workers struggle to reach areas cut off by high water and damaged roads.
The region has been battered by relentless rainfall since late October. Major tourist destinations have been hit by repeated floods, causing widespread disruption and losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Streets in Nha Trang, a coastal city popular with visitors, were submerged last week. Landslides also blocked mountain passes leading to Da Lat, a well-known highland getaway.
In Dak Lak province, the worst-hit area, floodwaters rose so quickly that many residents escaped only by climbing to their rooftops. Farmer Mach Van Si, 61, said he and his wife spent two nights on a sheet-metal roof after their home was inundated.
“Our neighborhood was completely destroyed. Nothing was left. Everything was covered in mud,” Si told AFP. “I just thought we were going to die because there was no way out.”
More than 60 of the reported deaths since Nov. 16 occurred in Dak Lak, where tens of thousands of homes were flooded, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said.
At a market in Tuy Hoa, muddy floors and water-damaged goods showed how quickly the floodwaters rose. Vendors said they once believed a few inches of elevation would protect their merchandise. It didn’t come close this time.
“My goods look like one big soggy mess,” said vendor Vo Huu Du, 40. “All these years, the highest water level only reached our ankles. But now the water came up more than a meter.”
Across five provinces, more than 80,000 hectares (about 200,000 acres) of rice and other crops have been damaged, and more than 3.2 million livestock and poultry have been killed or washed away, officials said.
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Helicopters have dropped emergency supplies to isolated communities, while government teams delivered clean water, food and clothing throughout the weekend, state media reported. Several sections of national highways remain closed due to landslides and flooding, and some rail lines are still suspended.
Economic losses from the floods have reached an estimated $343 million, according to the ministry.
Natural disasters in Vietnam have left 279 people dead or missing and caused more than $2 billion in damage between January and October, government data shows. The country typically faces heavy monsoon rains, but scientists say climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of severe weather.