Rabat – Relentless rain has battered south-central Vietnam throughout late October, triggering widespread flooding in key coastal areas and landslides in highland regions.
Authorities confirmed at least 16 deaths and several people still missing.
AFP photos taken on Thursday showed hundreds of cars partially or fully underwater as floodwaters swept through streets and commercial areas.
Business owner Bui Quoc Vinh, 45, said he remained safe in his 24th-floor apartment, but his restaurants and shops on the ground level were under nearly a metre of water. “I am worried about our furniture in my restaurants and shops, but of course I cannot do anything now,” he told AFP.
“My staff have to take care of their flooded homes,” he added, noting that some of their houses were under nearly two metres of water. “I don’t think the water is going to recede soon as the rain has not stopped.”
More than 43,000 homes have been submerged, while several main roads remain impassable due to landslides.
Deadly landslides were also reported in highland passes near the tourist hub of Da Lat. Some areas recorded up to 600 millimetres of rainfall since the weekend, according to the national weather bureau.
Flooding has also disrupted transport nationwide. The government-run Hanoi Railway Corporation announced the suspension of several rail lines linking the north and south after key sections were inundated.
Emergency hotlines reported shockingly high numbers of calls on Wednesday night as water levels continued to rise. The defence ministry deployed helicopters to search for and assist people stranded by the floods.
Between January and October, natural disasters in Vietnam killed or left 279 people missing and caused more than $2 billion in damage, according to official statistics.
While heavy rains are common in the region, scientific evidence suggests that human-driven climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events across Southeast Asia.
