The devastating flooding in Vietnam has now claimed the lives of at least 90 individuals, with 12 people still unaccounted for following days of relentless rain and landslides. The severe weather has particularly affected the south-central region since late October, leading to multiple flooding events that overwhelmed popular tourist destinations.
In Nha Trang, a coastal city, entire sections were submerged last week, while deadly landslides impacted highland areas around the Da Lat tourist hub. The mountainous province of Dak Lak has experienced significant devastation, with 61-year-old farmer Mach Van Si recounting how he and his wife were left stranded on their rooftop for two nights. “Our neighbourhood was completely destroyed. Nothing was left. Everything was covered in mud,” he shared on Sunday, detailing the harrowing experience.
More than 60 deaths have been reported in Dak Lak since November 16, where the environment ministry indicated that tens of thousands of homes have been inundated. As of Sunday, four communes in Dak Lak remained flooded, compounding the crisis in the area. The flooding has also damaged over 80,000 hectares of rice and other crops across Dak Lak and three additional provinces, resulting in the loss of more than 3.2 million livestock or poultry.
Response and Recovery Efforts Underway
In response to the crisis, the government has mobilized tens of thousands of personnel to assist affected communities. Helicopters have been used to airdrop essential supplies, including clothing, water purification tablets, and food items like instant noodles, as reported by state outlet Tuoi Tre News. In the southern coastal province of Khanh Hoa, severe flooding washed away two suspension bridges, isolating numerous households.
The environment ministry has indicated that numerous locations along national highways remain blocked due to landslides or flooding. In addition, several railway services are still suspended. As a result of the widespread outages, more than 129,000 customers were without electricity as of Sunday, following a peak of over a million households affected last week.
The economic impact of this disaster is significant, with the environment ministry estimating losses of approximately $343 million across five provinces due to the floods. This year has seen a troubling increase in natural disasters in Vietnam, with a total of 279 people dead or missing and damages surpassing $2 billion from January to October, according to the national statistics office.
As rescue efforts continue, the situation remains critical, and authorities are working tirelessly to provide support to those impacted by the catastrophic flooding.
