At least five people have been confirmed dead and one remains missing after a devastating flash flood swept through Son La province in Vietnam’s mountainous north over the weekend, authorities said on Tuesday.
Triggered by heavy rains on Saturday night, the flash floods destroyed 22 houses, severely damaged many more, and forced the evacuation of dozens of families, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Rescue workers recovered three bodies on Monday, adding to the two previously found, the ministry said. Search operations are ongoing for one person still unaccounted for.
The flooding also led to the destruction of more than 180 hectares (445 acres) of crops and swept away 2,600 cattle and poultry, compounding the economic damage to the already vulnerable rural region.
Vietnam is highly prone to tropical storms and monsoon-related disasters, which frequently trigger flash floods and landslides. Experts warn that human-driven climate change is intensifying these weather events, making them more destructive.
Just last week, Tropical Storm Wipha killed three people and inundated nearly 4,000 homes in Nghe An province, in central Vietnam. On July 19, an abnormal whirlwind overturned a tourist boat in Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, killing 39 people, including children.
In September 2024, Typhoon Yagi devastated northern Vietnam, leaving 345 dead and causing an estimated $3.3 billion in economic losses—one of the deadliest disasters in the country’s recent history.