Parts of the northern mountainous province Lạng Sơn were severely flooded following persistent downpours in the wake of Typhoon Matmo. The military has deployed helicopters to drop food and other essentials to communities cut off by the floodwaters on October 8. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — As of 5pm on October 8, heavy rains triggered by the aftermath of Typhoon Matmo had inundated and damaged nearly 22,600 ha of rice and crops, killed or swept away hundreds of thousands of livestock and poultry, and flooded close to 17,000 houses.

Preliminary statistics from the Việt Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment showed that 16,918 houses were flooded, 1,608 were isolated, and 710 suffered severe damage.

In the agricultural sector, 22,579 ha of rice and crops were inundated and damaged, while 1,038 head of cattle and 217,235 poultry were reported dead or washed away.

A serious incident occurred at the Bắc Khê 1 hydropower dam in Tân Tiến Commune, Lạng Sơn Province. The dam, with a capacity of around 4 million cu.m and a capacity of 2 MW, broke after a sudden surge in inflows. The incident was detected in time, enabling authorities to evacuate 803 households to safe areas before it happened.

In terms of transport, 66 locations along national highways were blocked by landslides and flooding. Traffic is expected to resume by the evening of October 8. The Hà Nội–Đồng Đăng railway line also suspended operations. Many provincial and rural roads were heavily flooded and severely disrupted.

A local resident in the urban centre of Thái Nguyên Province tried to get his belonging to the drier grounds on October 8. — VNA/VNS Photo

Thirteen people have been reported dead or missing, while seven others were injured. Localities are continuing to verify and update damage reports.

On October 8, four working delegations led by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers inspected disaster response efforts in the provinces of Thái Nguyên, Bắc Ninh, Cao Bằng, and Lạng Sơn.

PM Phạm Minh Chính has issued Decision No. 2221/QD-TTg to provide urgent aid worth VNĐ140 billion (around US$5.6 million) from the 2025 central budget contingency fund to help four northern provinces recover from recent floods.

The National Civil Defence Steering Committee has also issued Dispatch No. 14/CD-BCD-BNNMT, urging proactive response to extremely high flood levels on the Cầu and Thương rivers.

To ensure the safety of the dyke system, the committee requested provincial and municipal People’s Committees to urgently mobilise all available forces, materials and equipment to reinforce vulnerable dyke sections and prevent overflows or breaches, ensuring safety when floodwaters continue to rise.

They were also instructed to regularly inspect key and weak dyke sections, unresolved incidents, and ongoing construction sites, particularly low dykes near rivers prone to seepage, erosion or subsidence during floods. Authorities must strengthen patrols and surveillance during the flood season to promptly detect and handle any incidents.

Local authorities have also been directed to urgently evacuate residents from low-lying and riverside areas at high risk of flooding to safe locations. — VNA/VNS