VIETNAM – At least 41 people have died in central Vietnam after days of relentless rainfall triggered severe flooding and landslides, overwhelming cities, destroying infrastructure and plunging hundreds of thousands into darkness, state media reported on Wednesday.
Nine people remain missing as rescue teams continue combing through inundated neighbourhoods and remote highland areas.
According to local reports, floodwaters have submerged more than 52,000 homes, while over 500,000 households and businesses have been left without electricity.
Some regions recorded more than 1.5 metres of rainfall in just three days, pushing water levels above the devastating 1993 peak of 5.2 metres.
The worst-hit areas include the historic coastal city of Hoi An, the beach destination of Nha Trang, and the central highlands coffee belt, where farmers were already grappling with delayed harvests after earlier storms.
Vietnam has endured a string of extreme weather events in recent months. Two typhoons — Kalmaegi and Bualoi — struck weeks apart, causing widespread destruction.
Government estimates show natural disasters have inflicted $2 billion in economic losses between January and October alone.
Images from local media showed residents stranded on rooftops as muddy water engulfed ground floors, while a viral video captured a suspension bridge in Lam Dong province being ripped from its anchors by surging waters.
The province has declared a state of emergency after landslides cut off major roads.
Traffic ground to a halt on the Mimosa Pass, a key route into the popular tourist city of Da Lat, after part of the road collapsed into a ravine. A bus narrowly escaped plunging into the gap, according to AFP.
Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated across central Vietnam, with military and police units setting up emergency shelters and assisting with relocations.
In Nha Trang, restaurant owner Bui Quoc Vinh said his businesses were submerged by nearly a metre of water.
“I am worried about our furniture in my restaurants and shops, but of course I cannot do anything now,” he told AFP. “I don’t think the water is going to recede soon, as the rain has not stopped.”
Authorities have warned that moderate to heavy downpours are expected to continue through Sunday, raising fears of further flooding and landslides.
