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Authorities say more casualties are likely as search teams continue to look for those still unaccounted for.
Days of relentless downpours have pushed parts of central Vietnam into crisis, with towns submerged, power networks cut and rescue crews stretched thin.
State media, cited by the BBC, reported that at least 41 people have died since the weekend, while nine others remain missing.
Reports state that tens of thousands have been moved to temporary shelters as river levels surge with more than 52,000 homes having been inundated.
Around half a million households and businesses are reported to be without electricity.
Officials said rainfall has surpassed 1.5m in multiple districts over three days — in some locations beating the 1993 flood peak of 5.2m.
Impact on key regions
Coastal hubs including Hoi An and Nha Trang, along with major coffee-producing zones in the central highlands, suffered the worst of the latest flooding.
State newspaper Tuoi Tre reported that tens of thousands of homes in Dak Lak province — Vietnam’s largest robusta-growing region — were underwater.
Infrastructure under pressure
Authorities warned that heavy rainfall is likely to persist through at least Sunday.
Military units and police have set up emergency sites to relocate residents, while provincial officials declared a state of emergency following landslides that damaged highways.
According to AFP, part of the Mimosa Pass — a crucial route into Da Lat — collapsed into a ravine, bringing traffic to a standstill. A bus narrowly avoided falling into the gap..
Months of extreme weather
Vietnam has endured a series of destructive weather events this year.
Typhoons Kalmaegi and Bualoi struck only weeks apart, killing residents, toppling structures and stalling recovery efforts across wide areas, the BBC noted.
Government estimates place natural disaster losses between January and October at roughly $2bn.
Agricultural regions have been hit particularly hard, compounding the strain on local livelihoods.
Storms growing stronger
According to CNN, typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least five people on Vietnam’s central coast in early November before tearing through Dak Lak, where residents reported homes collapsing or filling with water.
The same storm had caused 188 deaths in Cebu in the Philippines before reaching Vietnam.
Climate experts cited by the BBC say global warming is intensifying severe weather events, making typhoons more powerful and frequent.
Sources: BBC, Vietnamese state media, AFP, CNN
