Floods that have battered central Vietnam for weeks have now claimed the lives of at least 102 people with many more still missing, officials and local media reported on Sunday. Thousands of homes have been submerged or destroyed leaving communities struggling to cope with one of the worst natural disasters the country has faced in recent years.
Relentless rainfall and flash floods have swept across the central and Central Highlands regions since late October. According to the Vietnam News Agency, the situation has worsened significantly in the past 24 hours.
Saturday’s figures reported 55 deaths and 13 missing, but by Sunday morning, authorities confirmed 90 fatalities, while 12 people remain unaccounted for. Dak Lak Province has been hit hardest, recording 63 deaths, followed by Khanh Hoa with 14 fatalities and Lam Dong with five.
The floods have severely disrupted daily life. Many areas along national highways remain blocked by water or landslides, and some railway lines are still suspended. Electricity outages are widespread, leaving communities without power as heavy rains continue to fall. Forecasters have warned of more intense downpours between November 23 and 25 in Hue, Da Nang, and eastern Quang Ngai Province. Rainfall in some areas could exceed 250mm raising fears of further flooding and landslides.
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The economic toll is staggering. Vietnam’s environment ministry estimates losses of at least USD 343 million across five provinces, and officials expect the figure to rise as assessments continue once the floods subside.
Agriculture has particularly faced hard hit. Over 80,000 hectares of crops and 117,000 hectares of perennial plants have been destroyed. More than 3.23 million livestock and poultry have been killed or washed away.
Rivers in Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, the Dong Nai basin are slowly receding. But water levels remain dangerously high in many areas. In Dak Lak alone, four communes including Hoa Xuan, Dong Hoa, Hoa Thinh, and Hoa My are still on submerge. This leaves residents stranded and rescue efforts ongoing.
Transportation networks remain fragmented. National Highway 1 has reopened. But 12 locations on other highways are still impassable due to landslides or deep floodwater. Six sections of the railway network remain closed complicating relief operations and delaying aid delivery.