Torrential rains since Nov. 16 have unleashed widespread flooding and landslides across central Vietnam, leaving at least 14 people dead or missing, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Khanh Hoa Province, home to the popular coastal city of Nha Trang, has suffered the greatest losses, reporting nine dead or missing. Six of the fatalities occurred in a catastrophic landslide on the Khanh Le Pass linking Nha Trang and Da Lat, where a mountain collapse struck a sleeper bus carrying 32 passengers on Sunday night.
Da Nang City has reported three missing persons, while one person each is missing in Quang Tri Province and Hue City. The missing individual in Quang Tri is a truck driver who attempted to drive across a flooded spillway on Monday and was swept away.
Flooding has caused extensive damage to homes and agriculture. Nearly 14,924 homes have been inundated, and around 5,900 residents have been evacuated to safer areas. Three houses were damaged, while agricultural losses include 7,000 hectares of rice fields and 430 hectares of perennial crops.
Livestock losses have reached 357 cattle and nearly 4,900 poultry. Five motorboats and canoes sank in Quang Tri and Khanh Hoa, and infrastructure damage includes a bridge in Quang Ngai and a reservoir in Khanh Hoa.
Transportation across the region has been severely disrupted. Hundreds of sections of national highways, provincial roads, and rural routes have been submerged or blocked by landslides.
Quang Tri reported 86 flooded locations, while Hue recorded 28 inundated areas, including segments of National Highway 49B under up to 50 cm of water. Parts of the Ho Chi Minh Highway through A Luoi were submerged by half a meter.
In Da Nang, landslides have cut off National Highway 40B through Nam Tra My, while rural routes in Nam Giang and Ben Giang remain isolated. Khanh Hoa has seen two sections of National Highway 1A flooded by up to 50 cm near the Du Long industrial zone and Nam Cam Ranh. Quang Ngai has reported landslides disrupting rural traffic at three locations.
In Lam Dong Province, a 100-meter section of National Highway 20 along the Prenn Pass collapsed along its lower slope, prompting authorities to close the pass for safety.
Local governments continue to mobilize rescue forces and assess damage as rain persists in several areas.
