Eleven dead in northern Vietnam after landslide buries van
by AFP Staff Writers
Hanoi (AFP) July 13, 2024

A landslide triggered by heavy rains buried and killed at least 11 people who were travelling in a van in northern Vietnam, the country's disaster management authority said on Saturday.

Northern Vietnam has entered its rainy season, with heavy downpours and flooding making travel along mountain roads treacherous.

The landslide hit the 16-seater van around 4:00 am local time (2100 GMT) as it drove through Bac Me district in Ha Giang province, state media said.

Rescuers have recovered 11 bodies, including a boy, according to the disaster agency.

Six others were found alive and taken to a nearby hospital, it said, adding rescuers were still searching for two missing.

Photos and videos on state media showed excavators, ambulances and hundreds of rescue workers at the muddy hillside road.

The rainy season from June to November often brings flooding and landslides to northern Vietnam.

In June, three people were killed in heavy floods in Ha Giang province.

Last year, natural disasters left 169 people dead or missing in the Southeast Asian country.

Scientists have warned that extreme weather events globally are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change.

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