Nineteen train carriages deployed to reinforce Bạch Hổ Bridge in Huế on the night of October 27. Photo Courtesy of the Vietnam Railway

HUẾ - Director of the Thừa Thiên–Huế Railway Operations Branch, Lê Trọng Tùng, said that on the evening of October 27, the railway sector deployed 19 train carriages to reinforce the Bạch Hổ railway bridge over the Hương River, where floodwaters had already risen to the bridge deck.

The carriages, specially designed for transporting stones and weighing a total of 980 tonnes, were positioned to stabilise and protect the bridge from strong currents and severe flooding.

At 7pm, the Hương River’s water level climbed to 5.04 metres, exceeding alert level 3 by 1.54 metres, while the Bồ River stood at 5.12 metres, 0.62 metres above the danger mark. The rapid rise of both rivers caused widespread flooding, submerging 32 of Huế City’s 40 communes and wards. Many roads were inundated or damaged by landslides, cutting off transport links.

Huế authorities have drawn up evacuation plans for more than 10,000 households, around 32,000 people, mainly in coastal, lagoon and low-lying areas at risk of landslides.

By midday on October 27, local authorities and functional forces had already relocated 923 households, involving over 2,300 residents, from high-risk areas including Phong Điền, Phong Thái, Phong Dinh, Kim Trà and Kim Long. VNS