A senior citizen is rescued from a flooded area of Hòa Thịnh Commune, Đắk Lắk Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Tường Quân

HÀ NỘI — Central provinces and the Central Highlands are struggling with the aftermath of historic flooding that has killed or left missing at least 52 people and caused at least VNĐ3 trillion (US$113 million) in damage, according to official data released on Friday morning.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment reported that days of heavy rainfall have triggered widespread inundation across Gia Lai, Đắk Lắk and Khánh Hòa provinces, leaving a trail of destruction.

43 people had been confirmed dead and nine remained missing.

Đắk Lắk recorded the highest loss of life, with 16 deaths, followed by Khánh Hòa with 14 and Gia Lai with five.

Lâm Đồng reported four fatalities, while Huế and Đà Nẵng each had two.

Among the missing were four people in Đắk Lắk, two in Đà Nẵng, and others in Quảng Trị, Khánh Hòa and Lâm Đồng.

Red Cross chapters across Gia Lai are working urgently with local authorities and mass organisations to deliver food, essential supplies and drinking water to low-lying areas hit by flooding, determined to ensure no resident goes hungry. — VNA/VNS Photo

Nearly 68,000 houses were submerged, with Đắk Lắk bearing the brunt at more than 39,500 affected homes. Gia Lai reported 19,200 flooded houses and Khánh Hòa 9,000. Numerous communes across these provinces remain isolated by floodwaters.

Agricultural losses are severe – about 15,000 hectares of rice and other crops have been ruined, and close to 31,000 livestock and poultry have been killed or swept away.

Transport infrastructure has also been heavily impacted. More than 30 locations on national highways and 142 spots on provincial roads are flooded or blocked by landslides. Lâm Đồng’s key mountain passes – Prenn and Mimosa – have suffered major collapses, prompting a state of emergency.

Fourteen passenger trains have been halted, and Tuy Hòa airport suspended operations on November 20. Close to 400,000 customers across several provinces remain without electricity.

Navy's boats have been deployed in evacuation of residents from high-risks areas in Khánh Hoà Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

The disaster stems from a prolonged episode of extreme rainfall beginning November 16.

Over five days, several areas recorded 1,000 to 1,800mm of rain. On November 19 alone, parts of Đắk Lắk saw more than 800mm, while Khánh Hòa’s Hồ Hoa Sơn station measured 684mm in 24 hours.

Runoff pushed water levels on major rivers to historic highs. Flood peaks on the Ba River (Đắk Lắk), Kỳ Lộ River (Đắk Lắk) and Dinh Ninh Hòa River (Khánh Hòa) exceeded previous records by 0.2 to 1.1m. At Củng Sơn on the Ba River, the flood crest surpassed the 1993 historic level by 1.09 metres.

Although floodwaters on major rivers are receding, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that downpours will persist across provinces from Đà Nẵng to Khánh Hòa through Saturday, keeping the risk of flash floods, landslides and further inundation high.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, while still in Algeria during an official visit, convened an emergency online meeting late Thursday to direct the national response.

Multiple urgent directives have been issued, ordering provincial authorities to mobilise all available resources to protect residents.

Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Quốc Dũng has travelled to hard-hit areas in Khánh Hòa and Đắk Lắk to oversee recovery efforts, while President Lương Cường visited flood-affected communities in Đà Nẵng to offer support.

The Ministry of National Defence has deployed more than 21,000 personnel, including militia forces, along with hundreds of specialised vehicles. Four Mi helicopters and nine tonnes of rations have been prepared for airlifts to isolated communities. The Ministry of Public Security has mobilised nearly 42,000 officers to assist with rescue operations, maintain security and manage traffic disruptions.

Delivering food supplies to residents in flooded areas of Hòa Thịnh Commune, the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk. — VNA/VNS Photo Tường Quân

Emergency financial support totalling VNĐ50 billion for Khánh Hòa, VNĐ300 billion for Gia Lai and VNĐ200 billion for Đắk Lắk has been approved. The Ministry of Finance has also released 4,000 tonnes of rice from national reserves to assist affected households.

Reservoirs at hydropower and irrigation facilities are being operated flexibly to reduce downstream flooding. On the Ba River basin alone, coordinated reservoir releases have helped cut an estimated 110 million cubic metres of floodwater.

Evacuation operations continue at pace, with more than 21,700 households, or 71,669 people, moved from high-risk areas to safer locations.

International assistance is beginning to arrive, with UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration and the European Union among those pledging emergency supplies valued at millions of US dollars to support communities across the region. — VNS

Flooding has caused severe damage to aquaculture cages and rafts in Xuân Cảnh Commune, Đắk Lắk Province. — VNA/VNS Photo