At Least 90 Dead as Devastating Floods and Landslides Hit South-Central Vietnam

Heavy rains and repeated flooding across south-central Vietnam have killed at least 90 people in recent days, leaving many residents stranded on rooftops and blocking mountain roads with landslide debris. The storms, which began in late October, have inundated coastal cities and mountain towns, causing widespread destruction and disrupting transport and livelihoods.

Human toll and local stories

The mountainous province of Dak Lak was among the hardest hit, with more than 60 of the fatalities recorded there and tens of thousands of homes submerged. Sixty-one-year-old farmer Mach Van Si described how floodwaters forced him and his wife to shelter on their corrugated-metal roof for two nights. "Our neighborhood was completely destroyed. Nothing was left. Everything was covered in mud," he said. "By the time we climbed the ladder to the roof, I had stopped being afraid — I just thought we were going to die because there was no way out."

Markets, crops and livestock

Markets and small businesses have been severely affected. At the Tuy Hoa market, vendors picked through soaked and mud-caked stock. Vendor Vo Huu Du, 40, said hats, bags and shoes she sells were still waterlogged. "My goods look like one big soggy mess," she said, noting that water levels now regularly exceed previous highs. Ceramics seller Nguyen Van Thoai, 60, estimated it could take weeks to clean and sort damaged inventory.

Across Dak Lak and four neighbouring provinces, authorities estimate more than 80,000 hectares (about 200,000 acres) of rice and other crops were damaged last week. Floodwaters also killed or swept away more than 3.2 million head of livestock and poultry, devastating rural incomes.

Response and disruption

The government has deployed helicopters to airdrop emergency supplies and sent tens of thousands of personnel to deliver clothing, water-purification tablets, instant noodles and other relief items to isolated communities. Several sections of national highways remain blocked by floods or landslides, and some railway services have been suspended, complicating relief operations.

Authorities estimate economic losses from the recent floods at about $343 million across five provinces. Separately, national statistics show that natural disasters have left hundreds dead or missing and caused more than $2 billion in damage earlier this year.

Climate context

Vietnam is no stranger to seasonal heavy rains, but scientists increasingly warn that human-driven climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and destructive, raising risks for coastal and mountainous communities already vulnerable to flooding and landslides.

Ongoing needs: Emergency relief, infrastructure repairs and long-term measures to strengthen flood resilience and early-warning systems remain priorities as recovery efforts continue.