Deceased victims from floods in central Vietnam rises to 36, nearly 5,000ha of crops damaged
A cold front, a tropical convergence zone and strong easterly winds have brought heavy rainfall to the central region from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai since October 23, following Typhoon Fengshen.
THE HANOI TIMES — Torrential rains and rising floods have devastated central Vietnam, leaving 36 dead and 49 missing or injured and submerging nearly 5,000 hectares of rice and crops as of 2 PM on November 1, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
More than 120,000 houses were inundated or destroyed, 790 hectares of fruit trees damaged and over 17,700 livestock lost, while floods and landslides blocked 11 national highways, including sections of the Ho Chi Minh Road and Truong Son Dong route.
Danang was hardest hit, with seven deaths, four missing, 21 injured, over 76,000 flooded homes and nearly 63,000 cubic meters of landslide debris.
The Cau Pagoda, the iconic symbol of Hoi An Ancient Town in the central city of Danang, was submerged almost to its roof during the historic flooding. Photo: Danang Newspaper
Over 1.88km of roads remain damaged or eroded across national highways, provincial routes and rural roads.
The central highlands province of Lam Dong suffered the heaviest losses with around 3,900 hectares of crops damaged, thousands of livestock and poultry drowned, hundreds of hectares of rice fields, vegetable crops and aquaculture farms destroyed.
In the central province of Quang Tri, several areas faced serious inundation and landslides, although traffic on provincial road 571 was restored on October 31.
Hue city has the heaviest rainfall, with more than 44,000 homes submerged and agricultural production suffered major losses. Now it's on recovery and has welcomed visitors to the ancient citadel.
Hue Citadel relic site is submerged in floodwater. Photo: VGP
Inspecting flood-hit areas in the central city of Hue on October 31 night, Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh called for stronger efforts to safeguard the UNESCO-recognized Complex of Hue Monuments against increasingly severe weather.
He requested accelerated post-flood recovery to reopen the site to tourists soon, while emphasizing the urgency of preservation.
In Quang Ngai Province, over 200 landslide sites spilled some 60,000 cubic meters of soil and rocks onto roads, ruining 80 communal routes and disrupting passenger train services, while hundreds of locals remain without electricity.
Residents travel by boat as main roads are severely flooded in central Vietnam. Photo: VTV
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that heavy rains are likely to persist from November 1 to 4 due to cold air and easterly wind disturbances, with total rainfall ranging from 200mm to 300mm and some areas exceeding 600mm.
Major rivers in Hue, Danang and Quang Ngai, including the Huong, Bo, Vu Gia-Thu Bon and Tra Khuc rivers, have reached their peaks and are gradually receding.
PM requests urgent relief measures for flood-hit localities
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed provincial leaders to continue search and rescue operations; provide free medical treatment for the injured; deliver food, water, medicines and essential supplies to isolated communities to ensure quick recovery.
Localities must report results by November 3.
The Government leader asked the Minister of Finance to immediately allocate rice from national reserves to flood-hit communities to prevent hunger and disease outbreaks.
Military forces transport rice to distribute to flood-hit residents. Photo: VNA
The Ministries of National Defense and Public Security are assigned to quickly deliver emergency relief.
The Minister of Health is tasked with providing medical supplies and disinfectants for post-flood sanitation and water treatment at the request of localities.
The Minister of Agriculture and Environment is tasked with supporting affected areas with chemicals for water and environmental treatment, livestock disease prevention, seeds and breeding stock to restore production.
The People’s Committees of Quang Tri, Hue, Danang and Quang Ngai must deliver relief supplies to households quickly and transparently, ensuring no one goes hungry and no epidemics occur after the floods.
Local authorities are required to proactively mobilize resources along with other legal funding sources for addressing flood consequences.
Reports must be submitted to the prime minister and the Ministry of Finance by November 5.
