Vietnam’s Lai Chau seeks $4.4mn aid after deadly flash floods devastate mountain communities

Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, led a delegation to visit the disaster-hit commune on Sunday to inspect recovery efforts.

According to a preliminary report from the provincial administration, another round of heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides in the commune at around 7:45 am the same day.

The disaster affected 899 households, or 4,263 residents, across several villages.

As of Sunday morning, flash floods had left four people dead, eight injured, while four others remain unaccounted for.

Authorities confirmed that 53 houses were damaged, including 20 swept away by floodwaters.

Approximately 300 hectares of rice fields, crops, and aquaculture were destroyed.

Transportation infrastructure suffered significant damage.

National Highway 32 was covered by mud and debris along an 800-meter stretch, temporarily cutting off traffic before the road reopened at midday on Sunday.

National Highway 279 remained partially blocked by three landslides.

Total losses were initially estimated at more than VND120 billion ($4.5 million).

In response to the disaster, more than 1,000 police officers, soldiers, local officials, militia members, youth volunteers, and residents joined rescue operations, evacuating 1,686 people and distributing food and supplies.

The province requested rice aid for affected families for one to three months and immediate funding to rebuild homes, restore infrastructure, and resettle 82 households from high-risk areas.

Hiep praised local authorities for stabilizing conditions for 800 households, ensuring basic needs such as shelter, food, and water.

He urged continued searches for missing persons and rapid construction of new housing for displaced families.

Of 80 households needing relocation, 24 have already been resettled.

Rescue teams also deployed trained dogs to aid searches.

Six dogs, including Javo and Olas, worked across a 20-hectare debris field filled with mud, broken trees, and sharp metal fragments.

Around midday on Sunday, Javo suffered a deep cut to one of its legs after stepping on a sharp object while tracking a possible scent.

Despite the injury, the dog continued searching every location assigned by its handler before returning to rest.

Dog handlers said rain presents the greatest challenge for search-and-rescue dogs because rainfall washes away human scent that would otherwise accumulate in one area.

Torrential rain in Muong Than has made the dogs’ highly developed tracking abilities far more difficult to use effectively.

Despite the harsh conditions, search teams and the dogs continue working through deep mud in hopes of bringing answers to families still waiting for news of their loved ones.

Javo and Olas are experienced rescue dogs that previously took part in search-and-rescue missions following the earthquakes in Türkiye in 2023 and Myanmar in 2025, as well as the deadly flash flood in Lao Cai Province’s Nu village in 2024.