Deadly floods and landslides continue to plague Southeast Asia

Authorities mobilize to try to help, but persistent rains continue to enrage Southeast Asia and have claimed several lives.

On Monday, it was confirmed that one person had died in Vietnam, bringing the total to 91 people in just over a week. In Thailand, five more people passed away.

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The country has been plagued by heavy rain since October, but Vietnam’s weather agency has warned that it could return later this week, adding an extra risk in some places. More than 100 million people in Vietnam reside in flood-prone regions, or nearly half of their total.

At least 63 people have drowned in the mountainous Dak Lak province, where the highest number of casualties have been recorded in Vietnam.

Due to severe flooding and landslides in Vietnam’s south-central region, fatalities have also been reported in the provinces of Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Danang, Hue, and Quang Tri.

The Southeast Asian nation has been hit hard by the relentless rain, which has flooded entire city blocks and submerged agricultural lands, costing at least $500 million.

In some flood-stricken areas and highlands, the government has deployed tens of thousands of personnel to deliver food, medicine, and other necessities. Additionally, helicopters have been used to help with relief efforts.

Southeast Asia experiences annual flooding brought on by monsoon rains, but this year it was particularly heavy.

Although deluges typically occur in Vietnam between June and September, scientists claim that human-caused climate change is making extreme weather more frequent and destructive.

Nearly two million people have been affected by flash floods in Thailand, according to officials, which have been reported in all of the country’s southern regions.

According to local authorities, 335 millimeters (more than 13 inches) of rain fell on Friday in Hat Yai, a major economic hub in Songkhla province, which is the highest 24-hour average in 300 years.

From Wednesday through Friday, the city’s precipitation was nearly twice that amount. In the upcoming days, Thailand is anticipated to experience more rain.

Over the past year, floods have impacted the nation, with at least 25 of those fatalities occurring in December.

Local authorities in Malaysia announced on Monday that more than 12,500 people had been evacuated.

More than 8, 000 people have been affected by the state’s northeastern state of Kelantan, which borders Thailand. There haven’t been any fatal reports.

Typhoons smashed into the area in September and October, leading to the flooding and landslides.