Record Flooding Hits Vietnamese City; Eight Dead in Northern Regions

Severe floods swept through northern Vietnam on Wednesday, leaving streets submerged, residents stranded, and at least eight people dead since the start of the week, according to government officials.

Floodwaters reached tops of cars and rooftops in parts of Thai Nguyen city, approximately 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Hanoi. Tens of thousands of residents were either trapped in their homes or forced to flee.

The Environment Ministry confirmed:

• 8 fatalities from flash floods and landslides since Monday.
• 5 individuals missing.

The Cau River, flowing through Thai Nguyen, surpassed its previous record by more than a metre. The former record, 28.81 metres (94.5 feet), was set during Typhoon Yagi in September last year.

Residents posted urgent pleas on social media for assistance:

“Our ground floor (in Thai Nguyen province) was totally flooded. My parents and five kids were stuck, with not enough food and water. No communication since late Tuesday. They need urgent help,” wrote Thoan Vu, reflecting hundreds of similar messages from stranded citizens in Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, and Lang Son.

The floods followed Typhoon Matmo, which weakened before reaching Vietnam on Monday but still caused heavy rainfall in the north.

Matmo struck only a week after Typhoon Bualoi, which had already caused extensive flooding, resulting in 56 deaths and estimated economic losses exceeding $710 million.

Nguyen Van Nguyen, a resident of Thai Nguyen, described the devastation: “I have never witnessed such a terrible flood since I was born 60 years ago. There has never been flooding here in my street but now my ground floor is all submerged.”

Authorities deployed the military to deliver aid to the affected regions. In Lang Son province, bordering China:

• Two helicopters dropped:
  • 4 tonnes of water
  • Instant noodles
  • Dry cakes
  • Milk
  • Lifejackets

The effort was aimed at residents cut off by deep floodwaters.

Experts note that human-driven climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, including typhoons, leading to more frequent, deadly, and destructive flooding across Southeast Asia.

The recent spate of disasters underscores Vietnam’s vulnerability to consecutive typhoons and the urgent need for disaster preparedness and climate adaptation measures.