At Least 41 Dead A Relentless Rain Devastates Central Vietnam

At least 41 people have died in central Vietnam following days of relentless rainfall and severe flooding, authorities confirmed, as rescue teams continue searching for nine individuals who remain missing.

The flooding, which began over the weekend, has submerged more than 52,000 homes and left roughly half a million households and businesses without electricity. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate as water levels rose rapidly across several provinces.

Officials said rainfall in parts of central Vietnam exceeded 1.5m over three days, surpassing records set during the country’s infamous 1993 floods.

Vietnam has endured a string of extreme weather events in recent months, including two destructive typhoons that caused significant loss of life and widespread damage. Government estimates indicate that natural disasters have caused more than $2 billion in losses between January and October this year.

Some of the worst-affected locations include Hoi An, Nha Trang, and key coffee-producing areas in the central highlands, where farmers have already struggled with a disrupted harvest due to recent storms. In Dak Lak, the country’s largest coffee-growing region, tens of thousands of homes were inundated.

Vietnam is a major exporter of robusta coffee, and prolonged flooding could intensify global supply concerns.

Weather authorities warn that heavy rainfall is expected to persist at least until Sunday. Military and police personnel have been deployed across impacted areas to set up emergency shelters, evacuate residents, and clear blocked roads.

Several regions have declared a state of emergency as landslides and erosion cut off major routes. A section of the Mimosa Pass — a key entry road to the tourist city of Da Lat — collapsed into a ravine, halting traffic. A bus reportedly escaped the collapse by only a few metres.

Images shared locally show residents standing on rooftops as floodwaters consumed their homes. In Lam Dong province, a video showed a suspension bridge ripping away from its anchors under the force of rushing water.

Business owners in Nha Trang described the floods as overwhelming. One restaurant owner said nearly a metre of water filled his shops. “I can’t protect anything,” he said. “The rain hasn’t stopped, and the water isn’t receding.”

Earlier this month, Typhoon Kalmaegi caused multiple deaths and severe structural damage along Vietnam’s central coast. The storm had already killed more than a hundred people in the Philippines before making landfall in Vietnam. In September, Typhoon Bualoi struck the central and northern regions, leaving at least 11 people dead.

Experts warn that climate change is amplifying extreme weather patterns, leading to more frequent and more powerful storms in the region.