Floods kill 90 in Central Vietnam, dozens missing and homes destroyed

Catastrophic flooding has struck central Vietnam, resulting in significant casualties and widespread destruction across multiple provinces. Official reports confirm at least 90 fatalities with twelve individuals still unaccounted for following the natural disaster.

Provincial Impact and Casualty Distribution

The disaster management department reported that Dak Lak province suffered the heaviest losses with 63 confirmed deaths. Other severely affected areas include Khanh Hoa province, home to the coastal city of Nha Trang, with 14 fatalities, Lam Dong with five, Gia Lai with three, while Hue and Da Nang each reported two deaths, and Quang Tri recorded one. The floods have damaged 1,154 residential properties and disrupted transportation networks throughout the central region and Central Highlands.

Infrastructure Damage and Economic Losses

Extensive damage to highways and rural roads has left many areas inaccessible due to flooding and landslides. The disaster caused power outages affecting approximately 1.2 million households at its peak, with 257,000 homes still without electricity by Sunday, resulting in significant communication disruptions. Preliminary estimates indicate economic losses exceeding $341 million, according to the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention.

Government Response and Recovery Efforts

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for intensified measures to address the flooding and its aftermath. The government has allocated emergency funding totaling 700 billion Vietnamese Dong ($26.6 million) to support recovery operations in the hardest-hit regions. Military and police personnel have been mobilized for disaster response efforts, while authorities reported that 3.24 million livestock and poultry were lost or swept away by floodwaters.