On Saturday, July 13, a landslide triggered by heavy rain in the mountainous Ha Giang province in northern Vietnam buried a minibus, causing at least 11 deaths and leaving 4 people seriously injured.
According to the official Vietnamese media outlet VNA, local authorities in Ha Giang province reported that around 4 a.m. on July 13, a 15-seater minibus carrying 16 people encountered a landslide while traveling on National Highway 34. As passengers got off the bus to try to push it through the area affected by the landslide, thousands of cubic meters of mud rushed down from above, burying the bus and its passengers.
The rescue team in Ha Giang province, composed of soldiers and civilians, has managed to recover 15 individuals from the mud, with 11 confirmed dead and 4 seriously injured. Local media reports indicated that among the deceased was a young boy.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Minh Chinh has urgently instructed local authorities and relevant government agencies to respond promptly to the disaster and prepare for potential further floods and landslides.
In official communications issued to various ministries and certain areas in the northern mountainous regions, Phan Minh Chinh expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims.
Reuters reported that according to data from the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center, the region received approximately 280 millimeters (11 inches) of rainfall in the past 24 hours. The agency has issued warnings that Ha Giang province, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, and Yen Bai provinces are at risk of flash floods and landslides due to the flooding.
Vietnam is prone to frequent natural disasters, with floods and typhoons causing hundreds of deaths annually. Government statistics show that last year, natural disasters resulted in 389 deaths and 668 injuries.
Since Saturday, Ha Giang province has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall. National media reported that thousands of houses have been partially submerged, and many roads have been damaged due to the inclement weather.