Landslides lay roads, homes to waste in northern Vietnam

By Ngoc Thanh June 26, 2018 | 10:24 am GMT+7

Landslides and floods have destroyed and blocked many roads, and left at least 17 people dead.

Heavy rain and flash flood started last Friday has left O Quy Ho pass in the northern Lai Chau province in ruins. Authorities had to spend hours to clear thousands of cubic meters of rocks slided down on the roads. Many parts of the national route is blocked because of landslides.

Heavy rains and flash floods that hit the area last has left O Quy Ho pass in Lai Chau province in ruins. Authorities have had to spend hours to clear thousands of cubic meters of rocks that were dumped on the roads. Many parts of the national route have been blocked by landslides.

Traffic got stuck in length at the road from Sa Pa to Lai Chau province.

Traffic at a standstill on the road from Sa Pa to Lai Chau province.

"We are two families traveling over 150 kilometers from Yen Bai province to Sa Pa. Because of this landslide, we have been stuck here for 12 hours," said Hoa Hoa Tru, 34 (Right).

Giang A Dua, under her raincoat, looking at her father. Duas house is only 3 kilometers away from the landslide, but she and her father cannot go home. She shakes under the rain and cold strong wind of the mountain pass.

Giang A Dua, wearing a plastic sheet. Dua's house is just 3 kilometers away from the landslide, but she and her father cannot go home.

Locals carrying shoes to get pass the muddy road.

Locals carry their shoes in their hands to walk on the muddy road.

[Caption] A man rushes to get pass the landslide despite the heavy rain.

A man rushes past a mound of mud and rocks dumpbed by a landslide.

A Hmong couple wait for the excavator to clear the road. But as soon as the road was cleared, another mass of soil fell right at the same spot.

A H'mong couple wait for an excavator to clear the road. But as soon as a section was cleared, another big mass of soil was dumped at the same spot.

Trees and concrete barrier could not stand the weight of the landslide.

Trees and concrete barrier could not withstand the landslide.

[Caption] Cranes and bulldozers have been working non-stop at the landslide. But strong water from the mountain keep flowing down and obstruct the work.

Cranes and bulldozers have been working non-stop at landslide hit areas, but water keeps gushing down in force from the mountain, obstructing the work.

Lai Chau police have been working non-stop to direct traffic. The damage suffered by the province has been estimated at over VND80 billion ($3.5 million).

Ha Giang is another province that suffers from the flood. As water drains, a large amount of mud was left behind on Monday, and janitors had to clear it away with water.

In Ha Giang Province, people try to hose and sweep mud from a flood-hit road.

A man using high-pressure water to remove the mud from his household items.

Total death in the three provinces Lai Chau, Ha Giang and Lao Cai reached 17 people and 11 are missing as of Tuesday morning. Damage in these provinces has been estimated at VND160 billion ($7 million) thus far.