Death Toll Rises to 55 as Severe Floods Devastate Central Vietnam

Hanoi — Heavy rains and widespread flooding in central Vietnam have left at least 55 people dead, with 13 others still missing, the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority reported on Saturday.

The floods have caused massive destruction across the region. Nearly **80,000 hectares of rice fields and other crops** remain submerged, while more than **3.2 million livestock and poultry** have been killed or swept away, according to data cited by Xinhua news agency.

More than **28,400 homes are still inundated**, and **946 others have suffered structural damage**.

Economic losses have been estimated at **nearly 9 trillion Vietnamese dong** (approximately **358 million USD**).

Earlier this month, the region had already been facing extensive flooding, with over 16,500 homes submerged and 361 damaged, while more than 5,300 hectares of crops and 800 hectares of fruit trees were destroyed. At that time, more than **42,000 livestock and poultry** were reported lost.

Although power has been restored to most affected areas, around **75,000 households** continue to remain without electricity.

To support recovery efforts, the Vietnamese government has approved an **emergency relief package of 450 billion dong** (around **17.93 million USD**) for four heavily affected central provinces and cities — Hue, Da Nang, Quang Tri, and Quang Ngai.

This year has seen multiple severe flooding events in Vietnam. In August, flash floods and landslides in the northern province of Dien Bien left **eight people dead and three missing**, and around **60 houses** were damaged or destroyed.

— With inputs from IANS