Four people were killed by a landslide following flash floods in a mountainous region of northern Vietnam, according to the government on Monday ( May 19 ), as forecasters warned of additional downpours.
Following heavy rain on Saturday, the disaster occurred early on Sunday in the Ba Get district of Bac Kan province.
” A massive ( noise, like an ) explosion was audible from the mountain’s top. Local standard Tieu Xuan Tai, who was quoted as saying in a speech on the government’s site,” therefore, soil, rock, and water poured down from the mountain.”
Local people had been made aware of a 2m-wide break that appeared on the mountain’s top a few years ago, according to Tai.
Authorities in the province have issued public safety alerts and demanded instant health checks for areas along streams, rivers, and other areas prone to landslides.
According to authorities, citizens may be quickly evacuated if they are in danger.
Analysts predicted additional heavy thunderstorms in the northern and central regions as the region’s rainfall levels were higher than normal this month.
Although tropical storms frequently cause dangerous flash floods and landslides, they typically strike Vietnam between June and November.
According to researchers, human-caused climate change is causing more severe weather habits, increasing the risk of devastating floods.
According to the crops department, 514 folks died in Vietnam last year as a result of natural disasters, three times more than in 2023.
Typhoon Yagi, which claimed 345 life and reportedly caused US$ 3.3 billion in financial losses in northern Vietnam, was blamed for the disaster in September.