Relentless rains and severe flooding have claimed at least 41 lives in central Vietnam since the weekend, with authorities still searching for nine people reported missing, according to state media.
The torrential downpour has submerged over 52,000 homes and left roughly half a million households and businesses without electricity. Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from the worst-hit areas.
In some regions, rainfall has exceeded 1.5 meters (nearly 5 feet) over the past three days, surpassing the previous 1993 flood peak of 5.2 meters in certain locations.
Vietnam has been battered by extreme weather in recent months. Two typhoons—Kalmaegi and Bualoi—swept through the country within weeks, leaving widespread destruction in their wake.
According to government estimates, natural disasters have caused $2 billion (£1.5 billion) in damage between January and October this year.
The latest flooding has hit the coastal cities of Hoi An and Nha Trang, as well as the central highlands, a key coffee-producing region, where farmers are already struggling from disrupted harvests caused by earlier storms.
In Dak Lak, the country’s largest coffee-growing province, tens of thousands of homes remain submerged, state media outlet Tuoi Tre reported. Vietnam is a major exporter of robusta coffee, widely used in instant coffee and certain espresso blends.
Authorities say extreme weather conditions are expected to continue at least until Sunday. Military troops and police have been deployed to set up emergency shelters and relocate residents to safer areas.
The provincial government has declared a state of emergency after landslides severely damaged major roads and highways, further complicating rescue and relief operations.
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