Vietnam flash flood kills five, dozens evacuated

A weekend flash flood in Vietnam's mountainous north killed five people, authorities said Tuesday, while another person remains missing after the deluge.

Heavy rains triggering flash floods were reported Saturday night in Son La province, destroying 22 houses, damaging scores more and forcing dozens of families to evacuate, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday.

Three bodies were recovered on Monday, a ministry statement said, adding to two others already found dead in the aftermath, with the search for another person still continuing.

More than 445 acres (180 hectares) of crops and 2,600 cattle and poultry were also swept away.

Vietnam is prone to tropical storms, which often cause deadly flash floods and landslides.

Human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

Last week, Tropical Storm Wipha killed three people and flooded nearly 4,000 homes in the country's central Nghe An province.

A sudden whirlwind and abnormal weather pattern overturned a tourist boat in Vietnam's UNESCO area of Ha Long Bay July 19, killing 39 people, including several children.

And in September 2024, Typhoon Yagi devastated northern Vietnam, leaving 345 people dead and causing an estimated economic loss of $3.3 billion.