Vietnam floods kill 10 as river reaches highest level in decades

October 30, 2025 / 12:58 PM

Sharjah24-AFP: At least 10 people have died and eight remain missing following severe flooding in central Vietnam, where water levels have reached their highest in sixty years. Heavy rainfall since the weekend has devastated coastal provinces, including areas home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hoi An, authorities said Thursday.

According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, over 128,000 homes across five provinces have been flooded, with water reaching up to three metres in some areas. Streets in Hoi An were waist-deep in water, and many shops in the city’s ancient quarter were submerged as residents navigated flooded streets.

Record rainfall and widespread damage

Meteorologists reported that some areas received up to 1.7 metres of rain within 24 hours — one of the heaviest downpours on record. The Thu Bon River, which flows through Danang and drains into the sea near Hoi An, reached 5.62 metres late Wednesday, surpassing the previous record set in 1964 by four centimetres.

Flooding and landslides have damaged or blocked several key roads, while over 5,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed and 16,000 cattle reported dead. The government has warned of ongoing risks of landslides and riverbank collapses as floodwaters slowly recede.

Communities struggle to recover

Residents described the floods as the worst in living memory. “Normally, the flooding lasts only three days, and then we can start cleaning up,” said Le Thi Thi, a 58-year-old resident of Danang. “I don’t think I ever experienced this prolonged and terribly high flooding in my life.”

Authorities in Danang and Hue said that while water levels are slowly falling, they remain at “alarming” levels, posing ongoing risks to communities already affected by extensive damage and power outages.

Climate change intensifies extreme weather

Scientists have long warned that human-caused climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of storms and floods. Vietnam, one of the most vulnerable countries in Southeast Asia to climate change, faces growing threats from rising sea levels and unpredictable rainfall patterns.

According to government figures, natural disasters, mainly storms, floods, and landslides, have left 187 people dead or missing in Vietnam during the first nine months of this year, causing estimated economic losses exceeding $610 million.