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Vietnamese authorities have confirmed that at least 90 people have lost their lives over the past week as relentless rainfall triggered widespread flooding and landslides across the country. The severe weather has left some residents stranded on rooftops and caused major blockages along remote mountain routes.
South-central Vietnam has endured continuous rainfall since late October, with well-known tourist destinations experiencing repeated flooding. Economic damage is already estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Coastal areas of Nha Trang were submerged last week, while landslides claimed lives along high-altitude roads surrounding the Da Lat resort town.
Dak Lak, a mountainous province that suffered the worst of the devastation, accounted for more than 60 of the deaths recorded since 16 November. Tens of thousands of homes were flooded, according to the environment ministry. Among those affected was 61-year-old farmer Mach Van Si, who described being trapped with his wife on their sheet-metal roof for two nights as floodwaters tore through their community. He said their neighbourhood had been completely destroyed and buried in mud, adding that he believed they would not survive.
In Tuy Hoa market, water levels have gradually receded, but sellers are now left grappling with the aftermath. Vo Huu Du, who sells hats, bags and shoes, said many of her goods were still soaked or caked in mud. She noted that traders had previously considered lifting merchandise five centimetres off the floor as sufficient protection, but this time the water rose to more than a metre. Another vendor, ceramics seller Nguyen Van Thoai, pointed to piles of damaged stock scattered through the market, saying the clean-up could take a month and still remain unfinished.
The flooding has devastated agricultural land, with more than 80,000 hectares of rice and other crops ruined across Dak Lak and four neighbouring provinces. Over 3.2 million livestock and poultry were killed or swept away. In response, authorities have deployed helicopters to airlift supplies to isolated areas, while tens of thousands of personnel have been sent to deliver essentials such as clothing, water-purification tablets and instant noodles, according to state media outlet Tuoi Tre News.
Despite ongoing relief efforts, several national highways remained closed on Sunday due to flooding or landslides, and some railway operations were still suspended. The environment ministry estimated that the five worst-affected provinces have suffered economic losses totalling $343 million.
Vietnam has recorded 279 deaths or missing persons from natural disasters between January and October, alongside more than $2 billion in economic damage, according to national statistics. Although the country regularly experiences heavy rainfall between June and September, scientists warn that climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, making them both more frequent and more destructive.
