Floods, storms leave tens of thousands without power in northern localities

Major national highways have reopened following severe flooding in northern Vietnam, but power outages and property damage persist in several provinces.

Bac Ninh province still has 29,400 customers without electricity. (Photo: VNA)
Bac Ninh province still has 29,400 customers without electricity. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Major national highways have reopened following severe flooding in northern Vietnam, but power outages and property damage persist in several provinces.

According to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, all national highways are now passable, and the Hanoi–Thai Nguyen railway line reopened at 18:30 on October 12. In Bac Ninh province, however, nearly 29,500 customers remain without electricity.

By October 13 morning, floodwaters have affected over 12,230 homes across the region, including 10,073 in Bac Ninh and 2,161 in Hanoi, representing an increase of 1,273 households compared with the previous day.

In Thai Nguyen, power outages affected part of the provincial-to-commune data network while public communications have been fully restored in Trung Gia and Da Phuc communes in Hanoi.

Across the provinces of Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Cao Bang, and Lang Son, 550,805 customers lost electricity, of which 502,636 have been restored, leaving 48,169 households still without power. Authorities are closely monitoring 59 dyke-related incidents and continue emergency response measures.

Preliminary estimates put the total damage caused by the storm and its subsequent flooding at over 8.72 trillion VND (367.5 million USD), with the highest losses in Thai Nguyen (4 trillion VND), followed by Cao Bang (2 trillion VND), Bac Ninh (1.67 trillion VND), and Lang Son (1.05 trillion VND). Local authorities are continuing damage assessments and recovery efforts.

By 17:00 on October 12, the Central Relief Board under the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee had received more than 922 billion VND (39.1 million USD) in donations for recovery from Typhoons Bualoi and Matmo (Typhoons No. 10 and 11), of which around 470 billion VND has been allocated.

On the same day, the Prime Minister approved an additional 400 billion VND in aid for recovery, distributed to Thai Nguyen (250 billion VND), Cao Bang (50 billion VND), Lang Son (50 billion VND), and Bac Ninh (50 billion VND).

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall has continued in the central provinces of Dak Lak and Lam Dong, raising the risk of flash floods, landslides, and soil erosion. Accumulated rainfall in the region ranges from 10–20mm, with some areas exceeding 50mm, affecting numerous communes.

Authorities have issued risk warnings for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains, emphasising the potential for severe environmental impact, threats to human life, local traffic disruption, and damage to residential and economic infrastructure.

Meteorological agencies recommended local authorities inspect vulnerable points, including blocked waterways and unstable terrain, to implement preventive and responsive measures./.

VNA

See more

Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau addresses the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Deputy PM asks for highest education quality, safety for students

Regarding the construction of inter-level boarding schools in border communes, all 108 schools under Phase 1 opened for the 2026-2027 academic year, with 40 having completed all construction items. Procedures for groundbreaking at 121 schools under Phase 2 across 17 provinces and cities have been completed, with all projects targeted for completion before August 30, 2027.

Hanoi leaders attend the inauguration and groundbreaking ceremonies for projects. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi launches 18 key projects worth nearly 4.94 billion USD

The city announced 292 projects with a combined investment of 384.886 trillion VND (14.92 billion USD), including 18 key projects worth 127.46 trillion VND, focusing on transport, infrastructure, environmental protection and public services.

With just a smartphone, a wealth of knowledge spanning tens of thousands of books can now be accessed in an instant. (Photo: Thanh Nien Newspaper)

Vietnam’s first shared digital library platform launched

Vietnam Digital Library Joint Stock Company (ViLiB) launched its “Digital Knowledge Space – Shared Digital Library” platform in Ho Chi Minh City on October 8, enabling libraries, schools and organisations to connect and share digital resources, thereby broadening access to books and knowledge.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung are welcomed by staff of the Vietnamese Embassy, representatives of Vietnamese agencies and associations, and members of the Vietnamese community in Laos on October 9, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam–Laos special ties nurtured by the people: PM Le Minh Hung

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung urged Vietnamese people in Laos to maintain solidarity, integrate proactively, respect Lao laws and educate younger generations about their national roots and the special Vietnam–Laos relationship. Calling Laos a country undergoing dynamic transformation with emerging opportunities

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ngo Le Van and his Lao counterpart Anouparb Vongnorke co-chair the conference. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Laos enhance legal awareness among border village leaders

The conference aimed to help officials, specialised forces and village leaders gain a better understanding of border-related policies and laws, thereby enhancing their sense of responsibility for managing and protecting the border line and markers, maintaining public order and promoting economic development in border areas.

The international workshop on empowering women in the care economy on October 8, 2026 (Photo: VNA)

Int’l workshop focuses on women’s empowerment in the care economy

Vietnam has built a relatively comprehensive legal and policy framework to underpin the sector, including the Labour Code, the Law on Gender Equality, the Law on Social Insurance, the Law on Population and the National Strategy on Gender Equality for 2021-2030. Together, they set goals and measures to narrow gender gaps and give women and men equal opportunities to benefit across a range of areas.