According to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, from September 9 through the morning of September 10, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, and Quang Ninh recorded moderate to heavy rainfall, with some areas experiencing torrential downpours caused by the distant circulation of Typhoon No.7. Authorities have warned of intense, localized showers today across the Northern and North-Central regions, with rainfall in some areas expected to exceed 200 millimeters in just a few hours.
In several Northern mountainous provinces, heavy rains triggered landslides that disrupted traffic and raised safety concerns. In Lao Cai, prolonged rainfall on the afternoon of September 9 caused a massive landslide at Km299+200 along National Highway No.32, in Pung Luong Commune. Hundreds of cubic meters of soil and rock slid from the mountainside, burying the road and cutting off the section from Kim Junction to Mu Cang Chai Commune. This very stretch had suffered severe landslides during Typhoon No.5 in late August.
Local police quickly cordoned off the area, set up warning signs, and coordinated with Road Construction Company No.1, which deployed excavators to clear debris. “With the road blocked, some trucks had no choice but to spend the night in Mu Cang Chai waiting for clearance,” said truck driver Vu Van Thai. By 9 a.m. on September 10, authorities confirmed that the road had been reopened to traffic.
In Son La’s Tuong Ha Commune, another landslide struck the road linking Pa Hamlet Junction to Kim Bon Commune. At Km0+200, a large section of hillside collapsed, severing 85 meters of roadway and isolating Kim Bon Commune. The landslide also caused serious damage to local power infrastructure, toppling poles and damaging substations, with losses estimated at around VND1 billion.
From September 9 to 10, Kim Bon Commune was completely cut off, leaving more than 1,600 semi-boarding students facing food shortages. Tuong Ha authorities mobilized emergency crews to evacuate residents, open temporary routes, and maintain round-the-clock patrols, while urging Son La Province to adopt long-term solutions to protect lives, property, and transportation.
In Tuyen Quang, heavy downpours on September 9 triggered a flash flood in Thang Tin Commune, sweeping mud and debris into the boarding school for ethnic minority students. More than 200 cubic meters of earth and rock flooded the campus, destroying bedding, clothing, books, and daily supplies of all 301 students.
Teachers, along with border guards, militia, and local officials, promptly evacuated the students to the former People’s Committee office in Thang Tin Commune. Authorities also procured emergency supplies for the boarding facility while working to clear debris and restore the school after the floods.
