The landslide destroys a house of Vũ Văn Hiệp in Xuân Ái Commune of northern mountainous province of Lào Cai. VNA/VNS Photo

LÀO CAI – A mother and her five-year-old daughter were killed after a sudden landslide crashed through their village in the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai on Sunday night. Three other people were injured in the tragedy, which destroyed two family homes.

The incident occurred at 9:25pm on Sunday in Khe Qué Hamlet, Xuân Ái Commune, according to Hoàng Xuân Hùng, the vice chairman of the commune's People's Committee.

Hùng stated that the landslide completely obliterated two houses belonging to residents Vũ Văn Hiệp and Vũ Văn Lâm.

At the time of the disaster, Hiệp’s wife, Vũ Thị Thảo, and their daughter were inside their home. They were later identified as the two victims. 

Meanwhile, three people were inside Lâm’s house are his wife, Bùi Thị Vân Anh, and their two children aged four and one.

As a result of the landslide, Thảo and her daughter died, while Vân Anh and her two children, were injured.

Upon receiving the report, local authorities—along with the commune’s Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue Command—swiftly arrived at the scene to begin rescue operations.

Efforts were launched immediately and continued through the night.

By early Monday morning, rescue teams located Thảo and her child and administered emergency aid, but tragically, both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Meanwhile, Anh and her two children were promptly transferred to the Văn Yên District Medical Centre, where they are currently in stable condition.

Notably, there was no rainfall at the time of the landslide.

Hiệp’s family of five (a couple and three children) lived in a one-storey, Thái-style roofed house, valued at VNĐ1.3 billion (US$51,000) while Lâm’s family of four lived in a wooden house valued at VNĐ550 million ($21,600).

The volume of earth and rock that collapsed is estimated to be around 2,000cu.m. VNS