Local authorities are mobilising all available resources under the “four-on-the-spot” principle, focusing on searching for missing persons, carrying out rescue operations, addressing the aftermath, and helping residents restore their lives as quickly as possible.
Floods inflict extensive damage
Muong Than Commune (Lai Chau Province) became the epicentre of the disaster after a flash flood struck unexpectedly in the early hours of July 17, sweeping away many houses and burying property.
According to the Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee, as of 5pm on July 17, the disaster had claimed one life, left five people missing, and injured two others, while dozens of households had to be urgently evacuated to safer locations. Thirteen houses in the villages of Doi 9, Doi 11, and Sap Ngua collapsed completely. Many villages, including Muong Mit, Hat Nam, Khoang, Ve, Chit, and Nam Sang, were cut off after roads were buried by rocks and soil or severed by floodwaters.
In Pa U Commune, many houses were damaged by landslides, including four that collapsed completely. Large areas of rice fields, crops and fishponds were inundated or washed away, leaving many residents facing the prospect of losing their entire harvest. National Highway 12 was cut off after about 30 metres of roadbed collapsed at Km76+250, completely disrupting traffic, while National Highway 32 through Muong Than Commune remained impassable.
Although the authorities promptly deployed machinery to clear the roads, recovery efforts have been hampered by continuing rainfall and the high risk of further landslides.
While Lai Chau was struggling to recover from the flash floods, prolonged heavy rain from the night of July 16 into the early hours of July 17 also caused extensive damage in Son La Province, particularly in Ngoc Chien Commune.
Early that morning, Provincial Road 109 leading to the commune centre was strewn with rocks and soil from dozens of major landslides. Excavators, trucks, and functional forces worked continuously to gradually clear the route and secure access to the affected area. Preliminary figures show that 17 houses were damaged, including three that were buried or collapsed completely, while eight others had to be urgently relocated and many more were inundated by rocks and soil.
About 17 hectares of rice, maize, and cassava were washed away or buried, while more than 21 tonnes of farmed fish were swept away. Along Provincial Road 109, 21 landslide sites involving around 3,000 cubic metres of soil and rock were recorded, with many bridges, culverts, irrigation works, and domestic water supply systems suffering damages. Initial losses have been estimated at around 6.5 billion VND.
In Lao Cai Province, preliminary statistics showed that flooding inundated and buried more than 64 hectares of rice fields and damaged numerous infrastructure works. Four sections of National Highway 279 were covered by soil, rocks, and mud. At the Nam Liep 3 irrigation project, a section of aqueduct bridge approximately 15 metres long collapsed.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, under the influence of a low-pressure trough stretching across northern Viet Nam, the provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, and Lao Cai experienced heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours. Particularly high rainfall totals included 206mm in Phuc Than (Lai Chau), 141mm in Sin Chai (Dien Bien), 272mm in Nam Pam (Son La), and 305mm in Che Tao (Lao Cai). Soil moisture in many areas has nearly reached or already reached saturation, significantly increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides.
Urgent recovery efforts
On the morning of July 17, more than 200 officers and soldiers from the Lai Chau Provincial Military Command were deployed for rescue operations, together with local militia forces from neighbouring communes.
Lai Chau Provincial Police also mobilised more than 200 officers and personnel, working alongside grassroots police units and using specialised vehicles and large unmanned aerial vehicles to search for missing persons, rescue those trapped and assist residents in moving their belongings to safety. By late afternoon on July 17, dozens of stranded residents had been evacuated from danger.
However, persistent heavy rain, high floodwaters, and debris including rocks and fallen trees, continued to block roads, leaving transport routes through the flood-hit areas cut off. Rescue teams had to approach affected locations from multiple directions. In Muong Than Commune, the commune police rescued two residents trapped in the Nam Vai Stream, while dozens of households in the communes of Pa U, Le Loi, and Muong Than were evacuated to safer areas.
The authorities established 24-hour checkpoints at vulnerable locations, erected barriers and prohibited people and vehicles from passing through landslide-prone sections, while mobilising excavators and specialised vehicles to reopen roads to facilitate rescue operations and the delivery of relief supplies.
In response to the increasingly complex weather situation, an inspection team led by Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the Son La Provincial People's Committee, examined disaster prevention and control efforts in communes Muong Bu, Muong La, Chieng Lao, Chieng Hoa, and Ngoc Chien, along with several other key areas.
That same night, officials in Ngoc Chien Commune visited every village to assist residents in relocating their belongings, assess damage and urgently deal with landslide sites. Nguyen Minh Tuan, Secretary of the Ngoc Chien Commune Party Committee, said the locality had mobilised all available on-the-spot forces on the morning of July 17 to support residents and clear landslide sites to restore traffic as soon as possible.
At Chieng Hoa Commune, Chairman of the Communal People's Committee Cu A Dang said the local authorities had proactively relocated three households from Nam Hong Village and the Cao Su Lower resettlement area in Chong Du Tau Village to safe locations.
For the time being, the affected families are staying with relatives and other households in the village, while commune officials, militia, and police continue to maintain round-the-clock watch at high-risk locations and stand ready to respond to any emergency.
Heavy rain is forecast to continue in the coming days, with a high risk of flash floods and landslides remaining across the northern mountainous region. Local authorities are closely monitoring weather developments, reviewing high-risk areas, installing warning signs and stationing personnel at low-water crossings, spillways, and landslide-prone locations, while strictly prohibiting people and vehicles from passing until safety can be guaranteed.
They are also preparing sufficient personnel, equipment, supplies, and essential goods in accordance with the “four-on-the-spot” principle, stepping up inspections of reservoirs and irrigation works, and maintaining round-the-clock disaster response duty.
The Prime Minister has issued Official Dispatch No. 49/CD-TTg (dated July 17, 2026) on proactively responding to heavy rainfall in the northern mountainous region. The Prime Minister requested ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and provincial and municipal People's Committees to focus on implementing the directions that Party General Secretary and State President To Lam set out in Notice No. 117-TB/VPTW (dated July 4, 2026), as issued by the Party Central Committee Office; Directive No. 23/CT-TTg (dated May 25, 2026) on strengthening disaster prevention and control in the coming period; and Notice No. 373/TB-VPCP (dated July 15, 2026), issued by the Government Office on disaster prevention and control in 2026.
The Office of the National Civil Defence Steering Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment were instructed to maintain round-the-clock duty; closely monitor developments; issue timely forecasts, warnings, and information on rainfall, floods, and natural disasters to relevant agencies and the public; and proactively direct disaster response efforts within their assigned functions and responsibilities.
The chairperson of the Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee and local authorities were instructed to urgently mobilise resources to address flood damage, ensure stable living conditions for residents, and decisively and effectively implement disaster prevention and flood response measures throughout their localities.
The Ministers of Agriculture and Environment, Industry and Trade, and Construction were directed to proactively oversee disaster prevention, response, and recovery within their respective sectors. The Ministries of National Defence and Public Security were instructed to direct forces stationed in affected areas to stand ready to assist local authorities in disaster response, rescue, and recovery operations, and provide reinforcements upon request.
