Central Vietnam hit hard as Storm Wutip claims lives and devastates crops

Storm Wutip has claimed five lives and left two people missing in central Vietnam, while triggering severe flooding across tens of thousands of hectares of farmland, according to authorities.

The latest update from the Department of Dike Management and Natural Disaster Prevention reported that, as of 6:00 pm on Saturday, three people had died in Quang Tri and two in Quang Binh, with two more still missing in Quang Binh.

Heavy rainfall and widespread flooding have inundated 70,643 hectares of rice fields and crops, with the most extensive damage recorded in Quang Tri (25,110 ha), Thua Thien Hue (23,649 ha), and Quang Binh (21,254 ha). Ha Tinh reported 630 hectares affected.

The aquaculture sector has also suffered significant losses, with 2,259 hectares of fish and shrimp farms damaged or swept away. Quang Binh was the hardest hit with 1,553 hectares lost, followed by Quang Tri (624 ha), Quang Nam (49 ha), and Da Nang (33 ha).

Authorities in Quang Binh reported two flooded sections along Provincial Road 562 at Km17. In Quang Tri, two stretches of National Highway 49C — from Km33+00 to Km35+490 and from Km37+050 to Km41+076 — remained submerged under floodwaters.

Local officials have visited the families of the deceased to offer condolences, while search and rescue operations continue for the missing. Emergency response teams have been mobilised to help residents mitigate the storm’s impact and resume daily life and agricultural production.

With weather conditions expected to remain unpredictable, the Department urged coastal provinces and cities from Quang Ninh to Quang Ngai, as well as Kon Tum and Gia Lai, to stay on high alert and enforce preventive measures.

Provinces have also been instructed to monitor and guide fishing vessels to safe anchorage or direct them away from danger zones, and to ensure safety at docking sites. 

Viet Nam News

Asia News Network