Relentless rains and flooding in central Vietnam have left at least 41 people dead since the weekend, with nine others still missing, according to state media.
More than 52,000 homes have been submerged and around half a million households and businesses cut off from electricity. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate from the worst-hit areas.
In some locations, rainfall over the past three days has exceeded 1.5m (5ft), with water levels surpassing the 1993 record peak of 5.2m in certain parts.
Vietnam has been pounded by extreme weather in recent months. Typhoons Kalmaegi and Bualoi struck within weeks of each other, causing widespread deaths and destruction. Between January and October alone, natural disasters have caused an estimated $2bn (£1.5bn) in damage, government figures show.
The latest deluge has severely affected the coastal cities of Hoi An and Nha Trang, as well as a key coffee-growing belt in the central highlands, where farmers were already grappling with stalled harvests after earlier storms. In Dak Lak province, Vietnam’s largest coffee-producing region, tens of thousands of houses have been inundated, state outlet Tuoi Tre reported.
Vietnam is one of the world’s leading exporters of robusta coffee, the bitter bean used in instant coffee and many espresso blends.
Authorities say the severe weather is expected to persist at least until Sunday. Troops and police have been deployed to set up emergency shelters and relocate people from danger zones. A state of emergency has been declared in some areas after landslides destroyed major roads and highways.
Traffic ground to a halt when part of the Mimosa Pass a key entry route into the tourist city of Da Lat collapsed into a ravine. A bus narrowly escaped plunging into the gap, according to AFP.
Images shared by local media show residents stranded on rooftops as floodwaters rise into their homes, while video footage from Lam Dong province captures a suspension bridge being ripped from its anchors.
In Nha Trang, restaurant owner Bui Quoc Vinh said his businesses were submerged under about a metre of water.
“I am worried about our furniture in my restaurants and shops, but of course I cannot do anything now,” he told AFP. “I don’t think the water is going to recede soon, as the rain has not stopped.
