Rescue workers were trying to reach people trapped in homes or on rooftops in central and southern Vietnam on Thursday, as the government said 41 people had died in the latest round of floods and landslides following weeks of heavy rain.
Coastal cities from Hoi An to the tourist destination Nha Trang in the south were hardest hit.
Roads and railways affected, soldiers mobilized
The environment ministry said on Thursday that five people were missing, bringing the death toll to 16 from seven the week before. Later on Thursday it issued a follow-up statement, revising the death toll to 41.
It said more than 62,000 people had been moved from their homes to safety, and several major roads were blocked as a result of landslides.
Traffic on the Mimosa Pass Highway, a major southern entry route into Da Lat, was completely halted, with a section of the road collapsing into a ravine and a bus narrowly missing a ditch.
The state-owned rail company has suspended several services linking the north and south, state media reported. An increase in call volumes was also reported at an emergency response center late Wednesday night as rain continued and water levels rose.
Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung told leaders of three flood-affected provinces – Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak and Gia Lai – Mobilizing the army, police and other security forces to “immediately relocate and evacuate people to safe areas”, according to a government statement.
Water levels in the Ba River in Dak Lak province surpassed 1993 records in two places on Thursday morning, while the Cai River in Khanh Hoa province also reached a new high, the weather bureau said.
Vietnam suffered from prolonged heavy rains, numerous storms and typhoons
Vietnam has been hit by persistent rain and several major storms in recent weeks.
Two typhoons, Kalamegi and Bualoi, struck within a three-week period, while the coastal country also faced Tropical Storm Ragasa in late September.
This time of year is also usually associated with heavy rain, especially in central Vietnam and to a lesser extent in the south.
According to the Office for National Statistics, natural disasters caused more than $2 billion (€1.7 billion) in damage between January and October, with 279 people killed or missing, a figure that is likely to rise after the latest casualties are included.
Edited by: Carl Sexton