Deadly Floods Hit Vietnam 90 Dead, Thousands Affected by Rain

Since late October, heavy and continuous rain has caused severe flooding in south-central Vietnam, hitting popular tourist areas and mountainous regions hard. The Environment Ministry reported on November 23 that the death toll from these floods has reached 90, with 12 people still missing.

The most affected area is the central Dak Lak province, where over 60 people lost their lives since November 16. Thousands of homes have been submerged in floodwaters, forcing many residents to evacuate. Flooding also badly affected the coastal city of Nha Trang and the mountain tourist town of Da Lat, where landslides have damaged roads and cut off transportation.

Several main highways remain blocked due to flooding and landslides, and some railway lines are still suspended, making it difficult for rescue and repair efforts. Power outages continue, with more than 129,000 people without electricity as of November 23, although this is a decrease from over a million who were affected last week.

The Environment Ministry estimates that economic losses from the floods across five provinces amount to about 343 million US dollars. Vietnam frequently faces heavy rain between June and September, but experts say human-driven climate change is causing more frequent and stronger storms.

Natural disasters, including floods and storms, have caused a total of 279 deaths or missing persons in Vietnam this year and have led to over 2 billion US dollars in damage, according to the country’s national statistics office.

Vietnamese authorities continue rescue and relief efforts as the rainy season approaches its end, working to restore infrastructure and support affected communities.