In brief
Severe flooding in central Vietnam has led to the deaths of at least 41 people, with search operations still ongoing for nine missing individuals. The relentless rains have submerged over 52,000 homes, leaving a significant portion of the population without power and forcing evacuations across affected regions. Recent typhoons, coupled with extreme weather patterns exacerbated by climate change, have intensified the impacts this month.
Relentless rains and floods have killed at least 41 people in central Vietnam since the weekend, while a search continues for nine still missing, state media reports.
The deluge has submerged more than 52,000 homes and left half a million households and businesses without power, according to reports. Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from the flood-affected regions.
Rainfall has exceeded 1.5m (5ft) in several areas over the past three days, even rising beyond the 1993 flood peak of 5.2m in some parts.
Natural disasters in Vietnam have wreaked damage amounting to $2bn (£1.5bn) between January and October this year, according to government estimates.
The areas worst-hit by the latest rainfall include the coastal cities of Hoi An and Nha Trang, as well as a key coffee production belt in the central highlands - where farmers are already reeling from a stalled harvest due to earlier storms.
Weather conditions in the region are set to continue until at least Sunday, according to authorities. Military troops and police officers have been deployed to set up emergency shelters and to relocate people to safety. The province has declared a state of emergency after landslides damaged major roads and highways.
Photographs published by local media show people stranded on roofs as floodwaters fill their homes. A restaurant owner in Nha Trang expressed concern about his shops, stating he'd been submerged by a metre of water, fearing the damage as the rain shows no sign of stopping.
Earlier in November, Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least five people in Vietnam's central coast, uprooting trees, tearing off roofs, and smashing windows. Experts say climate change has exacerbated extreme weather, with typhoons becoming stronger and more frequent.
