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Deadly Landslides and Floods Claim Hundreds of Lives

As of 7 a.m. on September 11, 2024, the reported damage caused by Typhoon No. 3 and the subsequent flood and rain included over 200 casualties, with 141 confirmed deaths and a minimum of 59 missing persons, according to the Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development).

Administrator

11 September, 2024

The northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam were struck by devastating flash floods and landslides on September 9 and 10, 2024, resulting in tragic losses. Cao Bang province reported 29 deaths and 23 missing individuals in Nguyen Binh district. In Lao Cai, the toll was even higher, with 45 fatalities and 21 missing people across various districts. The worst incident occurred in Bao Yen’s Phuc Khanh commune, where a flash flood and landslide flattened the entire Lang Nu village, burying 35 households and 128 people. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with 30 survivors rescued so far and 20 bodies recovered.

Other provinces also suffered casualties: Quang Ninh had 13 deaths, Phu Tho 8 missing people and 1 death, and smaller numbers of deaths and missing people in Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Hanoi, Hoa Binh, Lang Son, Bac Giang, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, and Vinh Phuc. The total death toll across the region stands at 127, with 92 missing.

FLASH FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES TAKE TOLL IN LAO CAI

On the morning of September 10, a flash flood struck Lang Nu village in Phuc Khanh commune, Bao Yen district, Lao Cai province. The entire village, comprising 35 households and 128 people, was buried by the landslide. Rescue efforts are underway, and as of the evening of the same day, 30 survivors had been rescued and 20 bodies recovered. The search continues for the 78 people still missing.

Flash floods and landslides flattened Lang Nu village

According to local residents, this area had never experienced such a natural disaster before, and the landslide took everyone by surprise. The remote location of the flash flood site made rescue and communication difficult. Bao Yen authorities are racing against time to mobilize resources and reach the affected area to search for the missing people.

The Vietnam Road Administration has instructed Road Management Unit 1 to coordinate with other units to support Lao Cai in opening up access roads to Lang Nu village for rescue efforts.

Mr. Dinh Trung Thanh, Director of Road Management Unit 1, stated that two road management and repair companies (242 and 244) and Minh Duc Company are deploying their maximum machinery to assist Lao Cai’s Department of Transport in creating an access route from Bac Ngam to National Highway 70. The leadership of Road Management Unit 1 is also en route to the scene to direct the operations.

Lang Nu village, which was just buried, is currently isolated in terms of transportation. The plan is to open up access from the city of Lao Cai along National Highway 4E to Bac Ngam (connecting to National Highway 70 at km 160) to avoid the landslide at km 146 on National Highway 70, pass through the flooded area at km127, and then reach Pho Rang and finally Lang Nu.

LANDSLIDE IN NGUYEN BINH, CAO BANG, CLAIMS 52 LIVES

On the morning of September 9, 2024, a serious landslide occurred at Km180+650 in Cao Bang province, causing a passenger bus with 20 passengers to fall into a river. The incident took place in Ca Thanh commune, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province.

Nguyen Binh district organized rescue forces and made efforts to reach the site of the bus accident. Over 300 people, including militia, government officials, military, police, and local residents, were mobilized to assist in the rescue and relief operations.

In addition to the landslide that buried the passenger bus, several other landslides occurred in Nguyen Binh district, resulting in multiple fatalities and the destruction of numerous houses. According to Ma Thi Huyen Linh, Chief of Staff of the Provincial Military Command and Head of the Permanent Office of the Provincial Steering Committee for Civil Defense, Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, and Search and Rescue, as of September 11, 29 bodies have been recovered, and 23 people remain missing due to landslides and flash floods, with dozens more injured.

Rescue efforts in Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province

In Yen Bai province, a landslide occurred in At village, Minh Xuan commune, Luc Yen district, at around 2 a.m. on September 10, completely burying five households at the foot of the hill. Nine people were reported dead or missing. Nearly 300 people from the military, police, local government, and community were mobilized for search and rescue operations. Two injured individuals were promptly taken to the hospital. As of September 10 evening, six bodies had been recovered, and three people were still missing.

On September 10, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long and his entourage inspected the flood damage in Yen Bai province. The group included Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Do Duc Duy, Deputy Head of the Government Office Nguyen Sy Hiep, and representatives from various ministries, sectors, and agencies.

According to Yen Bai province’s report, due to prolonged heavy rains and flooding, as of September 11, there have been 40 deaths and missing people in the province, mainly due to landslides. The disaster also damaged tens of thousands of houses, with over 10,000 homes still flooded, mostly in Yen Bai city. The Yen Bai People’s Committee reported that over 10,850 people have been mobilized for search and rescue operations, evacuating people from dangerous areas and addressing the aftermath of the natural disaster.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued Dispatch No. 92/CD-TTg on September 10, 2024, on focusing on overcoming the consequences of Storm No. 3 and post-storm floods. The Prime Minister requested that the secretaries of the Party Committees, the Chairmen of the People’s Committees of the provinces and cities in the affected areas prioritize the safety, health, and lives of the people above all else. With the utmost urgency, they must continue to focus on searching for and rescuing those still missing (while ensuring absolute safety for the rescue forces), providing free medical treatment for the injured, and offering timely condolences and support for the families of the victims. They should also provide food and essential goods to households at risk of food shortages, especially those in isolated areas, and arrange temporary accommodations for those who have lost their homes. It is imperative to inspect, review, and accurately report the full extent of damage to production, people’s property, businesses, and state infrastructure to the Prime Minister by September 12, 2024. At the same time, local resources and other legal capital sources should be proactively mobilized to quickly overcome the consequences of the storm and floods, aiming to stabilize people’s lives and promptly restore production and business activities.

The Ministers of National Defense and Public Security were instructed to direct the military zones and units to deploy forces and equipment (including helicopters) to support the transportation of food, necessities, dry food, bread, milk, and relief goods to people in isolated areas and assist the locals in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters as requested by the localities.

The dispatch also provides specific tasks for the Ministers of Health, Industry and Trade, Education and Training, Transport, Information and Communications, Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Governor of the State Bank, and the Ministers of Finance and Agriculture and Rural Development.