On the evening of Nov. 19, police officers in Tay Hoa Commune, Dak Lak Province waded through fast-flowing water to reach and assist residents stranded in deeply flooded, isolated areas.
Days of heavy rain have caused severe damage across central provinces. In Dak Lak and Gia Lai, the Ba River and Ha Thanh River rose quickly, submerging many areas; some houses were underwater up to their roofs, forcing residents to climb onto rooftops to await rescue.
In Khanh Hoa, home to tourist beach town Nha Trang, the floods have left 10 people dead and 2 missing, and inundated thousands of homes.
Many roads in the Central Highlands and central region have been cut off by one-meter-deep floodwaters and landslides.
As floodwaters entered homes, rescue teams in Tay Hoa Commune had to bring boats inside to evacuate residents, especially households with children and the elderly.
Rescue forces reached an elderly woman trapped in an isolated area of Hoa Thang Ward, Khanh Hoa Province, one of the worst-hit locations, where flooding has persisted for days.
On the morning of Nov. 20, 23/10 Street, a major arterial road at the western gateway of Nha Trang, was submerged in a sea of water.
Hundreds of people used basket boats and canoes to rescue residents in deep-flooded neighborhoods.
Rescue teams used canoes to evacuate adults and children from flooded areas in Tay Nha Trang Ward to safety. Heavy rain continued across central Nha Trang this morning. Many streets were submerged over one meter deep, complicating rescue work.
A young child, soaked, burst into tears while being carried by his mother out of the flooded zone in Tay Nha Trang Ward.
With heavy rain and rapidly rising floodwaters, rescue workers had to put raincoats on children to keep them from getting cold.
Hoang Thi Hau, a student living in a rented room in Tay Nha Trang Ward, who was rescued this morning, said 16 people were still trapped in the neighborhood, including six small children.
Motorboats also delivered food supplies to residents in the Vinh Diem Trung area of Tay Nha Trang Ward.
