The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in central Vietnam has risen to 55, according to a government disaster agency announcement made Saturday. Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities continue to search for 13 individuals still missing.
The Dak Lak province has been particularly hard hit, accounting for approximately half of the fatalities, with 27 deaths reported. Khanh Hoa province recorded 14 deaths, while the remaining casualties were spread across four other provinces.
Relentless rainfall since late October has triggered widespread flooding throughout southern and central Vietnam, inundating popular tourist destinations and historical sites. Rainfall totals have exceeded 1900 millimeters in some areas of central Vietnam.
Rescue teams are working tirelessly to locate the missing. Efforts continue to assist those stranded in trees and on rooftops as floodwaters recede, according to state media reports from Friday.
The coastal city of Nha Trang experienced significant flooding this week, with entire residential areas submerged. Deadly mudslides impacted areas surrounding the Da Lat tourist center.
Many highways remain impassable, and approximately 300,000 people are still without power, following outages that initially affected over one million residents. The Vietnamese disaster agency reports that over 235,000 homes have been flooded, and nearly 80,000 hectares of crops have been damaged.
Natural disasters in Vietnam between January and October resulted in 279 deaths or disappearances, causing over $2 billion in damages, according to the national statistics office. Scientists attribute the increased rainfall to human-caused climate change, which intensifies the frequency and severity of natural events.
The situation remains critical, and DZWatch will continue to provide updates as they become available.
