Hanoi: Record heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam this week have killed 35 people, disaster management officials said Sunday, with five more still missing in the deluge.

Heavy rain has pummelled Vietnam's coastal provinces since last weekend, with a record of up to 1.7 meters (5 feet 6 inches) falling over 24 hours spanning last Sunday and Monday.

The 35 fatalities took place in Hue, Da Nang, Lam Dong and Quang Tri provinces, the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA) said in a report.

Hoi An's ancient town that is a UNESCO world heritage site has been inundated with waist-deep water, with residents navigating the city by wooden boats after a major local river overflowed at a 60-year high.

"Everyone is in shock after the flood. People were preparing for the flood, but they didn't expect the water to rise so high," Hoi An resident Chuong Nguyen told AFP on Sunday.

“Many homes weren't able to get ready in time, so a lot of belongings were damaged,” the 43-year-old said as rain continued Sunday. "Everyone feels helpless due to the severe damage."

More deadly and destructive

More than 16,500 houses are currently flooded, the VDDMA says, while more than 40,000 poultry and livestock have been swept away and more than 5,300 hectares (13,000 acres) of submerged cropland.

Earlier this week, Vietnam's environment ministry said a total of more than 100,000 homes had been flooded and more than 150 landslides reported.

Vietnam's environment ministry had earlier this week put the number of flooded homes at 100,000 and reported more than 150 landslides.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is making extreme weather events such as storms and floods more deadly and destructive.

Vietnam is in one of the most active tropical cyclone regions on Earth and is prone to heavy rains between June and September.

Ten typhoons or tropical storms usually affect Vietnam, directly or offshore, in a given year, but it has experienced 12 already in 2025.

Natural disasters, mostly storms, floods and landslides, left 187 people dead or missing in Vietnam in the first nine months of this year.

Total economic losses were estimated at more than $610 million, according to government figures.

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