28 dead, six missing as floods devastate central Vietnam; thousands still affected

By Gia Chinh October 31, 2025 | 11:39 pm PT

Heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam have claimed 28 lives, left six missing, and displaced thousands, with 22,100 homes still submerged, primarily in Hue and Da Nang.

Most of the casualties have been reported in Hue (12 people) and Da Nang (11), according to the Directorate of Water Resources and Disaster Prevention and Control. The six missing individuals were swept away by the floodwaters.

Floods and landslides have destroyed and washed away 91 homes and damaged 181 others.

As flood levels in the Bo, Huong, and Vu Gia - Thu Bon rivers (which flow through Hue and Da Nang) have receded to around warning level two, the second-highest, the flooded area has decreased to over 22,100 homes. The majority of these are in Hue (11,500 homes) and Da Nang (4,600 homes). Compared to the peak of flooding early this week, the number of submerged homes has dropped by over 110,000.

Sáng 31/10, nhà dân hai bên sông ở Hội An vẫn bị ngập. Ảnh: Nguyễn Đông

Houses in Hoi An ancient town remains flooded on the morning of Oct. 31, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

The north-south railway through Hue and Da Nang resumed operations on Friday.

However, 80 locations on national highways across the central region remain blocked due to landslides. Efforts are underway to clear 46 landslide points across 11 national highways passing through Quang Tri, Hue, Da Nang, and Quang Ngai.

A total of 245,000 customers remain without power across the region, with over 225,000 of them in Da Nang.

Một mảng đồi sạt lở ở Đà Nẵng. Ảnh: Đắc Thành

A section of a hill that has completely collapsed in Da Nang City due to landslides. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh

A cold air mass, a tropical convergence zone, and easterly winds brought heavy rain from the night of Oct. 25 to Oct. 30 to the area from northern Quang Tri to southern Quang Ngai, with the heaviest rainfall centered in Hue and Da Nang.

The 24-hour rainfall recorded at Bach Ma peak in Hue peaked at 1,739 mm, ranked second globally, after a site in the Indian Ocean.

Five out of 12 gauging stations on the main rivers in Hue and Da Nang surpassed historical flood levels.

Floodwaters in Hue and Da Nang began to recede as river levels fall on Friday, but heavy rainfall resumed on Saturday, threatening further flooding, meteorologists said.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said heavy rainfall from Ha Tinh to Da Nang will continue until the night of Nov. 4, with some areas to be dumped more than 700 mm.