Hanoi (VNA) – Floods triggered by torrential rains and landslides from November 16 night have battered the central region, leaving at least 14 people dead or missing, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
The south central province of Khanh Hoa has reported the heaviest losses, with nine people dead or missing, including seven deaths and two people unaccounted for.
Seven deaths, along with 19 others injured cases, are from a single serious incident on Khanh Le Pass when a mountain slide hit a sleeper coach with 32 on board en route from Da Lat to Quang Ngai late November 16 night. The driver along with six other passengers died on the scene, most were residents of Lam Dong.
In Da Nang city, three people are missing, while one person is missing in Quang Tri province and another in Hue city.
Three houses have been damaged. Flooding has also devastated agriculture, with some 7,000 hectares of rice and 430 hectares of perennial crops affected. Livestock losses include 357 cattle and nearly 4,900 poultry killed or washed away. Five motorboats and canoes sank in Quang Tri and Khanh Hoa, while one bridge in Quang Ngai and a reservoir in Khanh Hoa were damaged.
Flooding has also returned in several low-lying areas, with nearly 14,924 homes inundated across central provinces. Local authorities have evacuated around 5,900 people to safer locations.
Hundreds of sections of national highways, provincial roads and inter-commune routes have been submerged or hit by landslides, bringing traffic to a standstill across the region.
In Quang Tri, 86 locations have been flooded, blocking access on several key routes.
Hue city has reported 28 flooded locations, including three sections of National Highway 49B under 20 to 50 centimetres of water. Parts of Ho Chi Minh Highway through A Luoi are submerged by up to half a metre.
In Da Nang, landslides have blocked National Highway 40B through Nam Tra My, while rural roads in Nam Giang and Ben Giang are also cut off.
Khanh Hoa has seen two sections of National Highway 1A flooded by up to 50 centimetres near the Du Long industrial zone and Nam Cam Ranh. Rural roads across various communes are also under water.
In Quang Ngai, landslides have disrupted traffic at three points on rural roads.
In Lam Dong, a section of National Highway 20 on Prenn Pass has collapsed 100m along the lower talus slope. Authorities have closed the pass to ensure safety./.
Prime Minister urges swift action in response to central region floods
In Official Dispatch No. 219/CD-TTg issued to the provinces and cities of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong, along with ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government units and the Office of the National Civil Defence Steering Committee, the PM requested immediate implementation of essential actions to safeguard communities, with the protection of human life placed above all else.
