16 dead and 5 missing in central Vietnam

Widespread flooding in central Vietnam has left at least 16 people dead and five missing, according to figures released Thursday by the Ministry of Environment. Torrential rains have been battering the south-central region since late October, causing several episodes of flooding.

More than 43,000 homes have been submerged.

Several main roads are blocked due to landslides.

Rescuers are using boats to rescue residents trapped on the roofs of their flooded homes.

In the provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Lak, teams had to force open windows and cut through roofs to reach those affected.

The Ministry of Defense deployed helicopters for search and rescue operations.

Many regions affected, including:

Nha Trang: The coastal tourist city saw entire city blocks flooded and hundreds of cars submerged.

Da Lat (Mountain Passes) where multiple deadly landslides occurred.

Some areas around Da Lat have received up to 600 mm of rain since the weekend, according to the meteorological office.

Emergency lines recorded an unusually high volume of calls last Wednesday evening due to the rapidly rising water levels.