At least four people have died after heavy rains, flooding and landslides inundated more than 16,000 homes across northern and central Vietnam, authorities said Friday.

Large areas remained underwater even after the heavy rain that had affected the region since Monday stopped Thursday afternoon. Floodwaters continued to cover highways and low-lying areas, disrupting transportation and daily life.

Vietnam is among the countries considered highly vulnerable to climate-related risks. Its long coastline is frequently affected by tropical storms, while large populations live in low-lying and coastal areas. Rising sea levels and increasingly intense rainfall are adding to those risks.

A series of severe storms in 2025 prompted Vietnamese authorities to seek new approaches to preparing for and managing flooding.

In Hanoi, authorities recovered the body of a university student who had been missing since Thursday, according to state media. His body was found near the entrance of a drainage system leading toward a river in the southwestern part of the capital.

Residents had discovered the student’s blue motorbike near the sewer entrance. The first-year student at Hanoi University of Mining and Geology was believed to have been swept into the drainage system during flooding caused by heavy rain.

Three other people were killed in a landslide in the Da Bac area of Phu Tho province, northwest of Hanoi, on Thursday evening, state media reported.

The Bui River, which runs through rural areas southwest of Hanoi, rose to dangerous levels during the flooding. Dozens of households were cut off, while authorities evacuated about 150 families, involving more than 500 people, from low-lying areas.

Local authorities activated disaster response and search-and-rescue operations as flooding continued to affect communities.

More than 16,000 homes were inundated, with Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh among the provinces reporting some of the worst impacts.

The flooding also submerged more than 24,000 hectares of rice fields, vegetables and other crops. Another 1,176 hectares of aquaculture areas were affected.

Vietnam experienced repeated severe flooding during 2025. Tropical Storm Wipha brought heavy rain and flooding in July, followed by additional flooding and landslides in August when Tropical Storm Kajiki struck.

Typhoon Bualoi killed at least 26 people in September. In October, historic cities including Hue and Hoi An were flooded, along with large areas of northern Vietnam.

The latest flooding has again disrupted communities across the country, with authorities continuing emergency response and monitoring conditions in affected areas.

SOURCE: Associated Press, Aniruddha Ghosal, updated September 25, 2026, article published September 18, 2026.