Making news
Flooding leaves 9 dead, 6 missing, tens of thousands of homes inundated across central region
Torrential rains and flooding have left nine people dead, six missing and 19 injured; and forced the evacuation of nearly 16,000 residents across the central and Central Highlands regions.
According to preliminary reports from the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as of 11:00 on November 19, flooding had damaged 85 houses and submerged 20,454 homes, an increase of nearly 6,700 compared to the previous day.
Floods have also damaged nearly 9,950 hectares of rice and crops and killed or swept away more than 6,400 cattle and poultry.
Transport networks remain severely disrupted, with 26 locations along national highways experiencing landslides or inundation. These include sections of National Highways 49, 24, 19C, 29, 1A and 27C traversing Quang Tri, Hue, Quang Ngai, Dak Lak, Lam Dong and Khanh Hoa. Prenn Pass in Lam Dong and Khanh Le Pass in Khanh Hoa are currently blocked.
Coastal and river dike systems have also sustained damage. In Quang Tri and Khanh Hoa, 650 metres of embankments have collapsed or eroded, while the Nuoc Ngot reservoir in Khanh Hoa has suffered damage to a 150-metre section of its wave-deflection wall and erosion over 10,000 square metres of talus slope.
Localities from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai continue to report high water levels on rivers, with the entire 46-km Hai Lang dike system in Quang Tri submerged by 0.4–0.7 metres. Meanwhile, river-mouth dikes in Thua Thien–Hue are seeing water levels recede but remain close to crest height.
Authorities are maintaining search and rescue efforts, monitoring reservoirs, regulating traffic at flooded and landslide-prone areas, and compiling updated damage assessments. Leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment dispatched two working groups on November 19 to inspect response measures in Quang Tri and Khanh Hoa.
Amid worsening conditions in eastern Dak Lak, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung on November 19 inspected heavily flooded areas and instructed authorities to urgently relocate residents from high-risk zones before nightfall, including, if necessary, by helicopter when weather permits.
Almost all communes and wards in northeastern Dak Lak remain deeply inundated, with rescue operations hindered by adverse weather and limited access. Some areas lack boats, while others cannot be approached due to fast-rising waters. The Ba Ha River hydropower plant released over 10,000 m³/s of water on the morning of November 19, compounding flooding downstream.
Military Region 5 has mobilised additional personnel and equipment to assist evacuation efforts. By early afternoon, National Highway 1 and all other major routes across Dak Lak were cut off, complicating rescue and relief operations./.
