Floodwaters surged into Phu Son Hamlet in Ham My Commune, Ham Thuan Nam District, early Wednesday morning, submerging the area.
Within just 3-4 hours, water levels rose rapidly, inundating dozens of hectares of dragon fruit fields and over 100 homes.
Binh Thuan, known as the "dragon fruit kingdom", currently has 28,000 hectares of dragon fruit farms, the largest in the country, with nearly half of the farming area located in Ham Thuan Nam District.
Ho Van Trung, 64, waded in his flooded house. He had to put many belongings on higher grounds to prevent damage from the water.
“More than 200 dragon fruit pillars and a small patch of vegetables, all bearing fruit, were submerged from morning till noon, and there’s no way to save them,” Trung said of his loss.
According to local farmers, dragon fruit is a drought-resistant plant that requires little water. A single day of flooding can severely damage the roots and branches, leading to significant losses.
A woman carried her two daughters and belongings to a relative’s house in another hamlet for safety.
By the end of Wednesday, water had yet to recede.
According to many residents, the recently constructed Provincial Road 719B is to blame for the unprecedented flooding. They argue that the drainage system was inadequately designed, too small to handle the upstream water flow, causing homes, crops, and dozens of hectares of dragon fruit to be flooded.
“The construction company needs to reassess the design and find solutions; otherwise, this flooding will keep happening,” said Le Van Phuoc, a 70-year-old resident.
He added that locals had raised concerns with the contractor about the issue even before the road was built.
Residents removed drainage covers downstream along Provincial Road 719B in an effort to speed up the water flow.
Commune authorities deployed police, military, and local officials to the flooded areas to help residents move their belongings, and evacuate the elderly and children to safer locations.
