Torrential Rains Trigger Deadly Landslide in Northern Vietnam

A deadly landslide, triggered by torrential rains, buried a van in northern Vietnam, killing at least 11 people. Rescue operations are complicated due to ongoing heavy rains. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed local authorities to manage the situation urgently, with warnings of further flash floods and landslides in multiple provinces.

A deadly landslide triggered by torrential rains buried a 16-seater van in northern Vietnam, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 individuals and leaving several missing as of Saturday, state media confirmed. Rescue teams, comprising soldiers and local citizens, scoured the Ha Giang province, discovering 11 bodies and finding four individuals injured, according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency.

Local officials disclosed that the exact number of occupants in the van remains unclear, complicating the search and rescue operations in the wake of significant rainfall. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered local and governmental agencies to urgently respond to the disaster and brace for additional floods and landslides.

Approximately 280 mm (11 inches) of rain was recorded in the region over the past 24 hours, reported the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, which also issued warnings about the likelihood of flash floods and landslides affecting Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, and Yen Bai provinces. Vietnam frequently endures natural disasters; floods and typhoons claim hundreds of lives annually. In the previous year alone, natural calamities resulted in 389 deaths and 668 injuries, as per government records.