Traffic was severely disrupted on Prenn Pass after tons of soil, rocks, and fallen trees blocked the roadway. The blockage occurred approximately 300 meters from the site of a previous landslide on Nov. 17.
The 7.27 km-long pass is a vital artery, linking National Highway 20 from southeastern Vietnam directly to resort town Da Lat.
In 2023, the route completed a VND552 billion (US$20.9 million) project to double its width to four lanes, with a design speed of 60 kph, and reopened July last year.
A layer of mud nearly half a meter deep covered sections of Prenn Pass, prompting authorities to immediately block both ends of the route.
Approximately 20 km away, Mimosa Pass, another entry route into Da Lat, also experienced severe disruption. Prolonged heavy rain caused soil, rocks, and trees to slide from the upper slope onto National Highway 20.
This spill occurred precisely at the temporary detour that had just been established following a landslide on Nov. 20.
Authorities immediately blocked both ends of Mimosa Pass for safety, and the route was subsequently reopened after cleanup efforts concluded by 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Police and local militia in Hong Son Commune rescued residents trapped by rising water and moved them to safety.
As floodwater receded on Thursday afternoon, Huynh Ngoc Thanh Long, 65, a resident of Ham Thuan Commune in Lam Dong, prepared a floatation device to swim back to his home to inspect the damage.
"Everything is probably ruined," Long said. He recounted that the water rose so quickly he and his wife could only escape with their lives, leaving all their belongings behind.
Along National Highway 28, several low-lying sections in Ham Liem Commune remained submerged under approximately 30 cm of water. A nearby roadside gas station was forced to shut down after floodwater inundated its premises.
Residents in Nam Ban Lam Ha Commune of Lam Dong Province scrambled to move their poultry to safety as floodwater submerged livestock areas.
Commune Chairman Phan Tien Dung reported that heavy rain caused upstream water to flow rapidly, raising the Dong Tranh Stream and flooding many homes.
A local poultry farm suffered severe losses, while several local roads were cut off and dozens of hectares of crops were waterlogged.
In neighboring Khanh Hoa Province, home to Nha Trang beach town, heavy rain flooded many suburban areas by nearly half a meter.
According to the province's Hydrometeorology Station, rainfall from Wednesday night to Thursday morning ranged from 30–80 mm, with some areas exceeding 120 mm.
Khanh Hoa Province has recently experienced a prolonged flooding period caused by heavy rains during the final half of November, resulting in extensive damage, including 22 deaths and damage to more than 1,000 houses, with over 100 completely destroyed.
Stranded residents were transported by truck to an evacuation center at Vinh Hiep Primary School in Nha Trang.
