Da Nang, Vietnam, Floods Cause Multiple Casualties... At Least 10 Dead

Typhoon No.19 'Seonka' Causes Urban Flooding
Two Children Swept Away and Killed by Rapids in Quang Nam Province

Floods and landslides have damaged the Hai Van Pass, which connects Da Nang and Thua Thien Hue, a key route across Vietnam. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by EPA, Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Central Vietnam, including Da Nang, has experienced widespread flooding due to Typhoon "Senkha," resulting in at least 10 deaths, including 4 children.

According to local media VN Express on the 17th, two students drowned yesterday in the Lien Chieu district of central Da Nang. In Quang Nam Province, two children were swept away by strong currents and lost their lives, and two male fatalities were reported in Thua Thien Hue Province.

Earlier, on the 15th, Da Nang City announced that four people had died due to heavy rains brought by the typhoon. Named by Vietnam after a type of bird, "Senkha" is the 19th typhoon developed in the South China Sea, which moved toward the Indochina Peninsula before making landfall in Vietnam. On the night of the 14th, Typhoon Senkha made landfall in Da Nang, dumping 700mm of rain over two days, flooding the entire city.

Flooding and landslides damaged the Hai Van Pass, a key trans-Vietnam route connecting Da Nang and Thua Thien Hue, and major roads were blocked, halting vehicle traffic until it was restored yesterday afternoon.

At the Hoa Son Cemetery, thousands of graves were washed away by landslides and strong currents, and the Nguyen Dynasty relics near the river, as well as the central area of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, a UNESCO World Heritage site, were submerged.

Thua Thien Hue Province recorded a maximum rainfall of 802mm during the same period, with 20,000 houses flooded.

Typhoon "Senkha," which caused extensive damage in Vietnam, is no longer strengthening and is expected to move northwest along the Da Nang coast as a weakened system. After passing through Vietnam, it is anticipated to downgrade to a tropical depression over Laos.