Devastating Floods in Vietnam: 90 Dead and Thousands Displaced

Post by : Raina Nasser

Since the end of October, relentless rainfall has resulted in catastrophic flooding in south-central Vietnam, severely impacting tourist hotspots and hilly regions. As reported by the Environment Ministry on November 23, the floods have claimed 90 lives, with 12 individuals still unaccounted for.

The central Dak Lak province has been particularly hard-hit, with over 60 fatalities recorded since November 16. Numerous homes remain submerged, prompting mass evacuations. The coastal city of Nha Trang and the mountainous tourist destination of Da Lat have also suffered extensive damage, as landslides obstruct transport routes.

Key highways remain impassable due to flooding and landslides, and several railway services are halted, complicating rescue and recovery operations. There are ongoing power outages, with more than 129,000 residents without electricity as of November 23, despite a reduction from over a million affected just a week prior.

The Environment Ministry estimates that economic damages across five provinces have hit approximately 343 million US dollars. Vietnam is no stranger to heavy rains from June to September, but experts highlight that human-influenced climate change is resulting in more frequent and intense storms.

Natural disasters, which include floods and storms, have resulted in 279 deaths or missing persons in Vietnam this year, causing damages exceeding 2 billion US dollars, as reported by the national statistics office.

Vietnamese authorities are actively engaged in rescue and relief operations as the rainy season nears its conclusion, striving to restore infrastructure and aid impacted communities.