Two Dead As Flooding Ravages Central Vietnam

Central Vietnam has been gripped by a devastating wave of flooding, resulting in the tragic loss of two lives, according to state media reports on Saturday. Nearly 500 homes have been submerged in water over the past few days, as reported by Vietnam's disaster management authority. The relentless downpours have predominantly affected the coastal city of Da Nang, with heavy rainfall extending from Ha Tinh to Quang Nam provinces since Tuesday. The consequences have been dire, with a 61-year-old man and a 13-year-old boy losing their lives due to the floodwaters, as detailed by the state media website VnExpress. As the situation worsened, around 5,000 people in Da Nang were evacuated from their homes on Friday night and into Saturday morning. The floodwaters surged to alarming levels, compelling residents to seek refuge on higher floors until rescue teams could safely evacuate them. The city of Hue, too, experienced severe flooding, with roads submerged by the Perfume River and water levels rising to nearly chest-high in certain areas on Friday. This unfortunate event follows another incident last weekend in northern Vietnam, where three individuals lost their lives in flash floods and landslides. The outlook remains grim, as heavy rainfall is predicted to persist across the central regions of the country in the coming days. Vietnam regularly grapples with harsh weather during the rainy season, which typically spans from June to November. Natural disasters such as floods and landslides have claimed approximately 100 lives in the country since the start of this year, as reported by the General Statistics Office of Vietnam. Scientists have repeatedly emphasized that climate change is intensifying extreme weather events globally, a warning that rings especially true as regions like central Vietnam confront the devastating consequences of heightened and more frequent natural disasters.