A fresh wave of floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in central Vietnam since the weekend has claimed at least eight lives, according to a government report on Wednesday. Traders have also cautioned that the extreme weather could disrupt the ongoing coffee harvest.

From Saturday night onwards, rainfall has exceeded 1,100 millimetres in several areas of central Vietnam. The region, home to a key coffee-growing belt and the country’s most popular beaches, is particularly vulnerable to storms and flooding.

Among the fatalities are six bus passengers who died in a landslide on Sunday evening while travelling from Da Lat to Nha Trang. The report also mentions that seven people are still missing, including three who were trapped under a landslide in Danang.

"Some coffee farms in low-lying areas of Dak Lak are completely submerged in floodwater," said a coffee trader based in the province.

Heavy rain continues to fall in the region, slowing the harvest, another trader from Dak Lak reported.

"Farmers in the province have harvested 10%-15% of the beans and need sunlight to dry them," the trader added.

Photos released by state media on Wednesday showed homes in several villages in central Vietnam flooded up to the roof, with stranded residents calling for assistance.

Hundreds of families were evacuated overnight from their flooded homes, as reported by Vietnam News Agency. In nearby Gia Lai province, schools were also closed on Wednesday, affecting 26,000 students.

In the UNESCO-listed ancient town of Hoi An, which was still recovering from flooding two weeks ago, water levels have begun to rise once again.

Media photos show both tourists and residents navigating the streets of Hoi An by boat, passing submerged cafés and centuries-old wooden houses.

The national weather forecast agency has issued warnings of more flooding and landslides on Wednesday, with heavy rain expected to continue in the region.

Copied