Vietnam’s defense ministry deploys helicopters to aid flood-isolated people

Two military helicopters, Mi-171 and Mi-17 models, operated by the Air Defense–Air Force Service, took off from Gia Lam Airbase in Hanoi.

The aircraft were loaded with four metric tons of essential goods and emergency supplies destined for residents stranded in the flood-hit communes of Van Nham and Yen Binh in Lang Son Province.

Major General Vu Hong Son, Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force Service, was present on-site to directly oversee the relief operation.

Also, a government delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha departed from Gia Lam Airbase aboard a helicopter operated by Corps 18, carrying 500 kilograms of emergency supplies for flood victims in Cao Bang.

According to the latest report from the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, the aftermath of storm Matmo, the 11th storm to hit the East Vietnam Sea this year, has left 13 people dead or missing and five others injured.

The fatalities included three individuals killed in landslides in Cao Bang and Thanh Hoa Provinces, four who drowned in flash floods in Thai Nguyen Province, and one person fatally struck by lightning in Bac Ninh.

Five others remain missing due to floodwaters.

The disaster has inundated over 15,760 homes across several provinces, with the most severe impacts reported in Cao Bang (6,992 homes) and Thai Nguyen (5,455).

As of Wednesday morning, 33 communes in Thai Nguyen, affecting 5,455 households, and three communes in Lang Son, impacting 1,034 households, had remained submerged and partially cut off from outside access.

The floods have caused significant damage to housing, agriculture, and infrastructure.

A total of 402 homes have collapsed or suffered serious structural damage, while over 14,620 hectares of rice and other crops have been flooded.

Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, and Bac Ninh are among the worst-hit localities.

Besides, nearly 540 cattle and over 96,000 poultry were reported dead or swept away.

Transportation networks across the affected provinces cities, including Lang Son, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, and Thanh Hoa, have sustained major disruptions, with 602 locations suffering landslides or inundation, causing significant road blockages and delays.