Hanoi: The death toll from floods in central Vietnam has increased to 36, with at least four others still missing. Torrential rains caused by a cold front and a tropical convergence zone have drenched central Vietnam since October 23.
According to Anadolu Agency, local authorities and the military were deployed to conduct rescue operations, but heavy rain has hindered their efforts. Over 120,000 homes have been either flooded or destroyed. Nearly 5,000 hectares of crops were lost, 790 hectares of fruit trees were damaged, and more than 17,700 livestock have perished. Floods and landslides have obstructed 11 national highways.
Danang has been the hardest hit, with seven people killed, four missing, and 21 injured. Over 76,000 homes were flooded, and nearly 63,000 cubic meters of landslide debris affected the region. Nearly 2 kilometers of roads, including national highways, provincial roads, and rural routes, have been damaged or eroded.
The central highlands province of Lam Dong has faced severe destruction, with approximately 3,900 hectares of crops ruined, thousands of livestock and poultry drowned, and hundreds of hectares of rice fields, vegetable crops, and aquaculture farms destroyed.
Hue city recorded the heaviest rainfall, with over 44,000 homes submerged, causing significant losses in agriculture. The city is now in recovery and has opened its doors to tourists at the ancient citadel. In Quang Ngai province, over 200 landslides deposited around 60,000 cubic meters of soil and rocks onto roads, disrupting passenger train services, while hundreds of residents remain without power.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has warned that heavy rain will continue from November 1 to November 4 due to cold air and easterly wind disturbances. Total rainfall is expected to range from 200 millimeters to 300 millimeters, with some areas receiving more than 600 millimeters.
Major rivers in Hue, Danang, and Quang Ngai, including the Huong, Bo, Vu Gia-Thu Bon, and Tra Khuc rivers, have reached their peak levels and are now beginning to recede. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed provincial leaders to continue search and rescue operations, provide free medical care to the injured, and deliver food, water, medicines, and other essential supplies to isolated communities to facilitate recovery.
Vietnam lies in one of the world's most active tropical cyclone zones and is susceptible to heavy rainfall from June to September.