The death toll from a week of devastating floods in central Vietnam has risen to 40, authorities reported Tuesday, as Typhoon Kalmaegi threatens to strike the already battered region. Torrential rains have turned streets into rivers, breached riverbanks, and inundated some of the country’s most-visited historic sites, reports AFP.
In a record-breaking 24-hour downpour, up to 1.7 metres (5 feet 6 inches) of rain fell, overwhelming communities across Hue, Da Nang, Lam Dong, and Quang Tri provinces. Six people remain missing, according to the environment ministry’s disaster management agency.
The extreme weather is set to continue, with Typhoon Kalmaegi forecast to make landfall early Friday. Currently battering the Philippines, where it has killed at least two people and displaced hundreds of thousands, the storm could reach Vietnam with winds of up to 166 kilometres per hour (100 miles per hour).
Vietnam is naturally prone to heavy rainfall between June and September, but scientific evidence indicates that human-driven climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. While the country usually experiences ten typhoons or tropical storms annually, Kalmaegi is the 13th to threaten Vietnam in 2025.
The disaster has left communities struggling to cope. Nearly 80,000 homes remain flooded, over 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of crops have been destroyed, and more than 68,000 livestock have perished. Remote areas remain isolated due to landslides, compounding relief efforts and raising urgent concerns for the approaching typhoon.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
