Hanoi: Heavy rains and floods have killed 10 people and left five missing across central Vietnam, local online newspaper VNexpress reported.
According to Anadolu Agency, torrential rains caused by a cold front and tropical convergence zone have drenched central Vietnam since Oct. 23, with some areas receiving over 1,000 millimeters of rain. The severe weather conditions have resulted in the evacuation of over 7,000 households, affecting approximately 21,000 people. Hydropower reservoirs in the region are working to reduce floodwaters downstream.
In Da Nang, six people were killed, 19 injured, and four residents remain missing. Floodwaters have submerged 29 communes in the lower Vu Gia-Thu Bon River basin, while 10 mountainous communes have been isolated due to landslides. In Hue, one person drowned, and a 5-year-old girl is missing in the floodwaters. Thirty-two of the city's 40 communes are currently flooded.
In Quang Ngai province, three deaths have been reported, with over 120 landslides blocking highways and trapping vehicles. Local authorities and the military have been deployed for rescue operations, although heavy rain has delayed their efforts. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting expects more heavy rain through Thursday night.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired an urgent meeting on Wednesday to direct flood response and recovery efforts.