HANOI – Vietnam's northern mountainous provinces are reeling from the devastating impact of torrential rains that have triggered severe floods and deadly landslides, leaving a trail of destruction and prompting an urgent national response.
The provinces of Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, and Lao Cai are bearing the brunt of the disaster. Days of prolonged, heavy rainfall have saturated the mountainous terrain, leading to catastrophic flash floods that have swept through villages and landslides that have buried homes and severed critical transportation links.
According to preliminary reports from the National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue, at least 15 people have been confirmed dead, with dozens more still missing. The casualty figures are expected to rise as rescue teams struggle to reach remote, isolated communities.
The disaster has inflicted extensive damage on property and infrastructure. Entire houses have been washed away or submerged in muddy floodwaters. Large swathes of agricultural land, including rice paddies and other crops, have been inundated, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of local families. Key national highways and provincial roads have been rendered impassable by landslides, hampering rescue efforts and isolating many areas.
In response to the escalating crisis, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued an urgent official dispatch on Monday morning, calling for the mobilization of all available resources to address the catastrophe.
In the directive, the Prime Minister ordered all relevant ministries, agencies, and provincial authorities to prioritize the search for the missing and the rescue of those trapped or in danger. He stressed the immediate need to:
Deploy all necessary forces, including military personnel, police, and civil defense teams, to the hardest-hit regions.
Provide immediate support to affected citizens, including emergency shelter, food, drinking water, and medical supplies for evacuated families.
Urgently work to overcome the consequences, with a focus on clearing blocked roads to regain access to isolated areas and beginning the work of restoring damaged infrastructure.
On the ground, emergency response teams are battling treacherous conditions, navigating mud-choked roads and the ongoing risk of further landslides. The military has dispatched soldiers and heavy machinery to assist in search and rescue operations and to help clear debris.
This region of Vietnam is particularly vulnerable to flash floods and landslides during the annual rainy season, but officials have described this year's weather event as exceptionally severe. The immediate focus remains on saving lives and providing relief, with a long and difficult period of recovery and rebuilding expected to follow.
