Floods and landslides in central Vietnam kill 55, 13 still missing

Vietnamese authorities scrambled on Saturday to find at least 13 people still missing after a week of relentless flooding that has claimed more than 55 lives.

Since late October, heavy rain has battered south-central Vietnam, hitting popular tourist cities and mountainous regions. Coastal Nha Trang saw entire blocks submerged, while deadly landslides swept through highland passes near the Da Lat resort area.

The environment ministry said Dak Lak province in the central highlands suffered the worst losses, with over two dozen fatalities reported. Rescuers continued to pull people from treetops and rooftops as floodwaters slowly receded.

Several major highways remain blocked, and power outages affect around 300,000 people, down from an initial blackout that hit more than a million.

The floods are part of a grim trend. Between January and October, natural disasters in Vietnam left 279 people dead or missing and caused more than $2 billion in damage, according to the national statistics office. While Vietnam typically sees heavy rainfall from June to September, experts say human-driven climate change is increasing both the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events.

Residents in affected areas are bracing for continued rainfall, as authorities warn that rescue operations and recovery efforts could take days.