At least 90 dead, 12 missing after floods hit central Vietnam

ISTANBUL

At least 90 people died and 12 others went missing after heavy floods ravaged central Vietnam this week, according to the disaster management department.

Floods swept through central Vietnam and the Central Highlands, causing extensive damage and more than $341 million in economic losses, VnExpress reported on Sunday, citing the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention.

Dak Lak province has recorded the highest death toll, with 63 fatalities. Khanh Hoa province, where the coastal city of Nha Trang is located, has reported 14 deaths. Lam Dong has confirmed five, Gia Lai three, Hue and Da Nang two each, and Quang Tri one.

Flooding has damaged 1,154 homes and disrupted transportation across the region, leaving sections of key highways and rural roads impassable due to high water and landslides.

Power cuts affected roughly 1.2 million households at the peak of the disaster. By Sunday, 257,000 homes were still without electricity, leading to major mobile and internet outages.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged stronger action to address severe flooding and other natural disasters affecting the central provinces, according to Vietnam News.

The Vietnamese government has allocated emergency aid totaling 700 billion Vietnamase Dong ($26.6 million) to support recovery efforts in severely impacted regions.

Authorities said that military and police personnel have been deployed to respond to the disaster.

They said 3.24 million livestock and poultry have perished or been swept away.