Flooding and landslides in Vietnam’s central and southern regions have left at least 40 people dead and ten missing, according to the update of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on Thursday night.

Đắk Lắk Province reported the most deaths with 16 people. Other deaths included 14 in Khánh Hòa Province, four in Lâm Đồng Province, three in Gia Lai Province, two in Huế City, one in Đà Nẵng City.

As of Thursday evening, flooding had damaged over 13,000 hectares of rice and crops. A total of 30,731 livestock and poultry have been killed or swept away in the regions.

Meanwhile, 146 houses have been damaged and 52,056 homes have been inundated.

Rescue forces had relocated and evacuated 18,837 households with 61,793 people, while many families remained stranded by flooding and were still awaiting rescue, mainly in Đắk Lắk, Khánh Hòa, Gia Lai and Lâm Đồng provinces.

Along national highways 1, 14, 14E, 14H, 40B, 20 and the Trường Sơn Đông route, more than 30 landslide and deep-flooding points continue to block traffic. Provincial roads have recorded more than 140 landslide-hit sites. Landslides at the Prenn Pass and a rupture at Mimosa Pass have forced Lâm Đồng Province to declare an emergency situation.

The railway sector has suspended 14 passenger trains over the past two days.

Tuy Hòa Airport has halted operations from 10am until tomorrow noon.

More than one million customers experienced power outages, though supply has been restored for nearly 615,000 households.

The Prime Minister has issued five official telegrams, while the National Civil Defence Steering Committee has released four. Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Quốc Dũng has been on the ground in Khánh Hòa Province to oversee emergency response and recovery efforts.

The Ministry of National Defence has mobilised 18,000 personnel and 441 vehicles to assist residents; four helicopters are on standby with two tonnes of food and essential supplies for isolated areas. Provincial police forces have deployed nearly 42,000 officers with more than 3,200 vehicles for rescue operations.

Đắk Lắk has requested 2,000 tonnes of national reserve rice; three tonnes of Chloramine B; 1,000 litres of water treatment chemicals; 1,000 first-aid kits; 60 inflatable boats, 30 canoes, four high-capacity boats, 500 life jackets and 150 high-pressure torches.

Lâm Đồng has requested 600 billion đồng for recovery and asked for cooperation from Military Region 7’s engineering units to repair damaged roads. Khánh Hòa has requested one DT3 rescue vessel, two generators, 6,000 life buoys, 3,000 life jackets and 50 lightweight rafts.

In association with Asia News Network