Northern Vietnam Floods Claim Six Lives, Emergency Aid Mobilized for Reconstruction

Two more bodies were recovered in Muong Than commune, Lai Chau province, bringing the total death toll from flash floods to six. Two individuals remain missing and are being searched for by military, police, and militia forces along streams and downstream areas. The flash floods, occurring between July 15-19 due to a low-pressure trough, caused the most severe damage in Muong Than commune within the province. In addition to the fatalities, 10 people were injured, 24 households lost their homes entirely, 20 households suffered irreparable damage, and 156 households were displaced from flood-prone areas. Approximately 300 hectares of rice fields, crops, and aquaculture areas were buried by landslides, making recovery nearly impossible. The estimated damage in the commune exceeds VND190 billion (approximately USD8 million). Besides Muong Than, other communes such as Than Uyen, Pa U, Nam Cuoi, Pac Ta, Le Loi, Hua Bum, Khoen On, Si Lo Lau, and Muong Te also sustained damage. Transportation infrastructure was heavily impacted, with landslides occurring on National Highways 4H, 12, 32, 279, as well as numerous provincial and inter-village roads. Notably, at Km76+250 of National Highway 12 passing through Le Loi commune, approximately 30 meters of roadbed were completely washed away, severing the route for several days. The People's Committee of Lai Châu province has declared a natural disaster emergency situation in Muong Than commune and at the landslide site on National Highway 12. Over 1,000 personnel, including military, police, border guards, militia, and local residents, have been mobilized for search and rescue, evacuation, and post-disaster recovery efforts. To date, 1,686 people have been relocated to safety. National and provincial roads have been largely reopened, while many inter-village roads continue to undergo repairs due to ongoing landslides. The Chairman of the Lai Châu Provincial People's Committee has issued an order for emergency construction to stabilize the affected population in Muong Than commune. Accordingly, the province will build a concentrated resettlement area for the 24 households that lost their homes on approximately 10,000 square meters of land. The project will include Class IV housing and essential infrastructure such as internal roads, electricity, water supply, and drainage systems, with an estimated total cost of VND19 billion from the state budget and other legal funding sources.