Deadly floods and landslides devastate central Southeast Asia

Severe flooding and landslides triggered by relentless rain have pushed the death toll higher across Southeast Asia, with Vietnam and Thailand bearing the brunt of the latest wave of destruction. In Vietnam, another fatality was confirmed on Monday, bringing the total number of deaths to 91, with 11 people still missing.

Thailand reported five more deaths over the weekend as flash floods swept through its southern provinces, affecting nearly two million people.

In Vietnam, waters have swallowed entire communities and devastated farmland, including coffee plantations in Dak Lak, the country’s major coffee-producing region. Damage from this round of floods is estimated at around $500m, adding to the strain on areas already hit by earlier typhoons and record rainfall in recent months.

While some floodwaters have begun to recede, the threat is far from over. Vietnam’s weather agency warned that continued rainfall and a newly forming tropical depression could bring further storms later this week. Scientists have repeatedly stressed that warming temperatures are intensifying rainfall and storm systems, making floods more frequent and more destructive in one of the world’s most flood-prone regions.

Dak Lak remains the hardest-hit province, where 63 people reportedly drowned. Other deaths have been recorded across provinces including Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Danang, Hue and Quang Tri. Roads have been washed away, forcing authorities to deploy helicopters to deliver food, evacuate residents and reach isolated communities.

The wider impact is severe. The United Nations says Vietnam previously suffered around $1.2bn in economic losses from flooding in September and October alone, with more than half a million homes damaged and hundreds of thousands displaced. South Korea has pledged $1m in humanitarian assistance to support affected communities and migrants.

In Thailand, health officials confirmed that torrential rain has caused serious flash flooding across six southern provinces, with four people injured in addition to the five fatalities.