At least eleven dead in Vietnam landslide that swept away van

At least eleven people have died after a landslide swept away their van in northern Vietnam, state media reported Saturday (July 13). The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, swept away the 16-seater vehicle at around 4 a.m. local time (11 p.m. Paris time Friday) as it was passing through Bac Me district in the northern province of A Giang, the newspaper wrote. Your Three.

Rescuers found eleven bodies, including that of a little boy, and six survivors who were transferred to hospital, the same source added. A search for a missing person is underway, the daily continued.

Photos and videos released by state media showed excavators, ambulances and hundreds of rescue workers working on the muddy hillside road where the accident occurred. News reports said three people traveling in another vehicle were at the scene at the time of the slide, but gave no details on their condition.

Northern Vietnam is currently experiencing heavy rainfall, due to the monsoon season that runs from June to November, which regularly causes flooding and landslides. This makes mountain roads more dangerous. In June, three people were killed by major flooding in Ha Giang province.

In 2023, natural disasters caused the death or disappearance of 169 people in the country. Scientists say climate change is making extreme weather events more intense and frequent.