At least 43 dead as relentless rains flood Vietnam

Asia
Southeast Asia

National weather forecast agency warns of more flooding and landslides to come

Alisha Rahaman SarkarFriday 21 November 2025 08:49 GMTComments

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At least 43 people died in Vietnam after a barrage of torrential rain caused more flooding and landslides in the central regions of the country.

Rainfall exceeded 1,500mm in several parts of central Vietnam over the past three days. The region is home to a key coffee production belt as well as the country's most popular beaches, but is highly prone to storms and floods.

A suspension bridge on the Da Nhim River in Lam Dong province was swept away on Thursday morning, the VietnamNet newspaper reported. A video clip showed the bridge being swallowed by the river in just a few seconds.

Power outages peaked at over one million customers, but approximately 615,000 households have had their electricity restored since. Traders said the floodwaters were hampering the coffee harvest in the region.

A passenger bus is crushed by a fatal landslide on Khanh Le pass in Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Minh Bang/VNExpress via AP)

open image in galleryA passenger bus is crushed by a fatal landslide on Khanh Le pass in Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Minh Bang/VNExpress via AP) (AP)

The national weather forecast agency warned of more flooding and landslides to come on Friday, with heavy rain set to continue in the region.

The Department of Dyke Management and Flood and Storm Control on Friday confirmed at least 16 people died in Dak Lak, 14 in Khanh Hoa, five in Gia Lai, four in Lam Dong, and two each in Thua Thien Hue and Da Nang.

Vietnamese authorities estimate the flooding caused preliminary economic damages of up to VND3 trillion (£86.93m). The flooding forced the closure of the Tuy Hoa Airport in Phu Yen province for almost 14 hours on Thursday, according to reports.

"Any group out there please help! We've been sitting on the roof since 10 pm last night, including kids and adults," a resident of Khanh Hoa province posted on a local Facebook page. Alongside the post was a photograph of a group of people sitting on the metal roof of a flooded house as the rain lashed down.

People (L) wade through floodwaters near inundated vehicles in Nha Trang, Vietnam's coastal province of Khanh Hoa on November 20, 2025. The death toll from a week of torrential rain that triggered floods and landslides in central Vietnam has risen to 16 while thousands of homes inundated in "historic" floodings, authorities said. (Photo by Duc Thao / AFP) (Photo by DUC THAO/AFP via Getty Images)

open image in galleryPeople (L) wade through floodwaters near inundated vehicles in Nha Trang, Vietnam's coastal province of Khanh Hoa on November 20, 2025. The death toll from a week of torrential rain that triggered floods and landslides in central Vietnam has risen to 16 while thousands of homes inundated in "historic" floodings, authorities said. (Photo by Duc Thao / AFP) (Photo by DUC THAO/AFP via Getty Images) (AFP via Getty Images)

Naval forces have been deployed to help stranded citizens in Khanh Hoa, the Vietnam News Agency reported, adding that floodwaters had reached record highs in many areas.

At least nine people were missing, and floods have inundated more than 52,000 houses and over 15,000 hectares of crops, according to a report from the government's disaster management agency, cited by online newspaper VnExpress.

A seven-year-old girl was rescued late on Wednesday in Da Lat after being buried by a landslide, the Nhan Dan newspaper reported.She was pulled out after an hour and a half with a broken leg and rushed to the hospital.

The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, knocked down and buried part of the house where the girl was staying.

Landslides block the road on Khanh Le pass, near the location where a passenger bus was buried by a landslide in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Dang Tuan/VNA via AP)

open image in galleryLandslides block the road on Khanh Le pass, near the location where a passenger bus was buried by a landslide in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Dang Tuan/VNA via AP) (AP)

Restaurant owner Bui Quoc Vinh said his shops were submerged by about a metre of water in Nha Trang. "I am worried about our furniture in my restaurants and shops, but of course I cannot do anything now," he told AFP. "I don't think the water is going to recede soon, as the rain has not stopped."

Vietnam’s defence ministry has deployed 21,300 personnel and 838 vehicles to assist residents and press four military aircraft to carry nine tons of food and essential supplies to isolated regions.

The Southeast Asian country has been battered by extreme weather events in recent months. Vietnam is among the world’s most flood-prone countries, with nearly half its population living in high-risk areas.

Scientists warn that a warming climate is intensifying storms and rainfall across Southeast Asia, making floods and landslides increasingly destructive and frequent.