A fresh wave of floods and landslides brought on by days of heavy rain in central Vietnam has left at least eight people dead, according to a government report released on Wednesday (Nov 19). Traders have also cautioned that the severe weather may disrupt the ongoing coffee harvest. Since Saturday night, parts of central Vietnam have seen more than 1,100 millimetres of rainfall. The region, known both for its major coffee-growing areas and its popular beaches, is also highly vulnerable to storms and flooding.

Among the victims were six bus passengers who died in a Sunday evening landslide while travelling from Da Lat to Nha Trang. Seven people are still missing, including three trapped by a landslide in Danang. A trader in Dak Lak said that several low-lying coffee farms in the province are submerged, while another reported that persistent heavy rain is slowing the harvest. Farmers have only collected 10 to 15 per cent of their crop so far and need sunlight to dry the beans.

State media photos on Wednesday showed numerous villages in central Vietnam flooded up to the rooftops, with stranded residents calling for assistance. Hundreds of households were evacuated overnight, according to Vietnam News Agency. In neighbouring Gia Lai province, schools were shut on Wednesday, affecting 26,000 students.

In Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site still recovering from floods two weeks earlier, water levels are rising once again. Images show both tourists and locals navigating the streets by boat, passing submerged cafés and centuries-old wooden buildings. The national weather service has warned of continued heavy rain on Wednesday, raising the risk of more floods and landslides in the area.