At Least 9 Dead, 5 Missing as Floods Devastate Central Vietnam

At least nine people have died and five remain missing after record-breaking rainfall triggered severe flooding across central Vietnam, the government said on Wednesday.

According to a government statement, six of the deaths occurred in Da Nang, home to one of the country’s most famous beaches and the ancient town of Hoi An.

In a separate report, the government’s disaster agency said the floods had inundated more than 103,000 homes, mostly in the top tourist destinations of Hue and Hoi An.

Vietnam frequently faces deadly storms and flooding, which cause widespread property damage — particularly during the typhoon season from June to October.

The agency reported that torrential rains have continued in the UNESCO-listed former imperial capital of Hue and the old town of Hoi An, with rainfall exceeding 1,000 millimeters (about 39 inches) in the 24 hours ending late Monday — a record high for the region.

Images broadcast on state media showed much of Hoi An submerged, with several homes nearly underwater up to their rooftops.

In Hue, 32 out of 40 districts were reported to be flooded, with water levels reaching between one and two meters deep.

The government said that in nearby Da Nang, most reservoirs had reached capacity and river levels continued to rise.

“Large-scale flooding is ongoing in low-lying and urban areas along riverbanks, and the risk of flash floods and landslides remains high in Da Nang’s mountainous regions,” the statement added.

The disaster agency said landslides had cut off traffic and knocked out power grids in several areas. The country’s state railway company has yet to resume services between Hanoi and the southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City after suspending operations on Tuesday.

Vietnam’s weather agency warned that heavy rain is expected to continue over central provinces for the next two days, with rainfall exceeding 400 millimeters in some areas between Wednesday morning and late Thursday night.