Reports from state media on Monday revealed that three individuals have tragically lost their lives due to flooding and landslides in northern Vietnam. This devastating event followed days of heavy rainfall, which led to the partial submergence of thousands of homes.
State media images depicted water rushing down the steep roads of Ha Giang province, a picturesque destination for motorbike tours, where vehicles were overturned and left stranded in the floodwaters.
In Ha Giang city, residents took to their rooftops, awaiting rescue amidst the escalating waters.
The province has experienced relentless heavy rain since Saturday, resulting in the partial submergence of thousands of homes and significant damage to numerous roads, according to state media reports.
The Lo river’s high water levels triggered devastating “floods and landslides,” as detailed in a statement on the provincial authorities’ website. Three bordering communes near China were rendered inaccessible due to landslides, the statement added.
State-run Voice of Vietnam reported that three individuals lost their lives either as a result of being swept away in floods or buried under landslides.
Over the weekend, severe flooding was also documented in the northern city of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh province, home to the UNESCO World Heritage site Ha Long Bay.
Vietnam consistently faces harsh weather conditions during the rainy season lasting between June and November.
During the previous year, natural disasters such as floods and landslides claimed the lives of 169 individuals or left them missing in the Southeast Asian nation.
Scientists continue to warn about the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events worldwide, attributing it to climate change.
tmh/aph/rma/rsc
