According to Nghe An Province's Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue, and Civil Defense, one village, Nhon Mai, is completely isolated. This particularly disadvantaged area comprises 21 hamlets with over 1,400 households and nearly 7,000 people, primarily from the Kho Mu, Thai, and Mong ethnic groups. All access roads to the village are blocked by landslides.

The house of Seo Thi Tuyet, a resident of Co Ha hamlet, Nhon Mai village, formerly Tuong Duong district, was swept away by a landslide on the afternoon of 22/7, leaving only a concrete wall standing. Photo: Duc Hung

Nine other villages are partially isolated due to road damage, mudslides, and flooded bridges. These villages include Huu Kiem, Muong Xen, Chieu Luu, Na Loi, Muong Tip (formerly Ky Son district); Tuong Duong, Luong Minh, Yen Hoa, and Huu Khuong (formerly Tuong Duong district).

Over 6,000 houses in villages in the former districts of Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Que Phong, and Anh Son were damaged by floodwaters and landslides. Heavy rainfall and water discharged from hydropower plants downstream contributed to widespread flooding.

From the afternoon of 26/7 until this morning, the mountainous areas of Nghe An experienced sunny spells, with some overcast areas but no further rain. Residents began returning home from shelters to clean up and salvage belongings.

However, the risk of further landslides remains. Cracks ranging from 30 to 200 meters in length appeared in Tien Phong village (formerly Que Phong district) and My Ly village (formerly Ky Son district) over the past two days, prompting authorities to evacuate nearly 200 households to safety.

Soldiers help residents search for belongings after a landslide in My Ly village, formerly Ky Son district, on 26/7. Photo: Hung Le

National Highway 7, a vital artery in North Central Vietnam, is now open after several days of flooding and landslides. However, some sections remain covered in 20 to 30 cm of mud, making passage difficult for all but high-clearance vehicles traveling from Vinh city (the former center of Nghe An province) to Nam Can border gate in the former Ky Son district.

National Highway 16, connecting the four provinces of Son La, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An and the only road to several mountainous villages in Nghe An, remains impassable due to hundreds of landslides. Full restoration is expected to take years.

Typhoon Wipha brought heavy rain to Nghe An. Floodwaters from upstream combined with discharged water from hydropower plants caused widespread flooding, flash floods, and landslides in dozens of villages in the former mountainous districts of Ky Son, Con Cuong, Quy Chau, Que Phong, and Anh Son.

Authorities have confirmed four deaths due to landslides and flooding in Nam Can, Nhon Mai, and Bac Ly villages (formerly Ky Son district). All bodies have been recovered. The death toll is one less than previously reported, as a man in Vinh Tuong village, formerly Anh Son district, was confirmed to have drowned while fishing, not swept away by floodwaters as initially reported.

Duc Hung