Around 4:00 AM, prolonged heavy rain caused a section of the northern slope of Vang Trang Khuyet beach, near the mouth of Thi Nai lagoon, to slide down. The landslide swept earth, rocks, and water into the residential area, trapping Dang Thi Chim, 58, and her husband in their house at the foot of the mountain.
Nguyen Duc Toan, Chairman of Quy Nhon Ward People's Committee, reported that local forces collaborated with the military to launch rescue operations. Rescuers brought the husband out first, but Ms. Chim remained buried under layers of earth and rocks. "Initially, residents heard cries for help, but then lost contact", Toan stated.
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Authorities search for the woman's body in the rubble. *Photo: Duc Toan*.
By 1:00 PM, rescue forces located the victim and began excavation amidst ongoing rockslides. When rescuers brought her out, Ms. Chim had died from prolonged compression.
According to Toan, Hai Minh fishing village is only accessible by boat, and heavy rain made mobilizing additional forces difficult. Consequently, rescue efforts primarily relied on local personnel. There are three other high-risk landslide areas in the locality; the ward has evacuated all residents and deployed forces to monitor geological developments.
Also this morning, several other landslides occurred in the former Quy Nhon city area. At Nui Mot area, landslides began at 2:15 AM and continued for several hours. Earth and rocks poured into neighborhood 57, threatening households living at the mountain's base. Authorities observed a road crack about 70 m long. The government cordoned off the area, placed warning signs, and evacuated 35 households to safety, with no casualties reported.
From the evening of 18/11 to 19/11, heavy rain caused Ha Thanh River waters to rise rapidly, leading to deep flooding in many Quy Nhon residential areas. Some areas were over 2 m deep, forcing hundreds to climb onto rooftops for rescue. Thousands of homes were submerged, and some hospitals, like the Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital, were isolated, requiring patients to be moved to higher floors. Traffic was paralyzed in many areas, with some routes through the city's gateway and An Khe Pass area blocked by landslides.
Tran Hoa
