According to initial information, at about 4 am on November 20 a hillside behind the home of Dao Thi Kim Trang collapsed while she and her two children were sleeping. Large rocks crashed into the house, leaving her daughters aged 18 and 10 dead.
Large rocks fall onto the house of Dao Thi Kim Trang, leaving her two children dead on November 20.
Rescue teams and local residents arrived to assist with search efforts and to evacuate households living nearby as heavy rain continued and the risk of further landslides increased.
In neighbouring Khanh Hoa, multiple serious landslides occurred on Co Ma Pass. Soil and rocks spilled onto National Highway 1A, cutting the route.
Local authorities erected barriers and restricted traffic to ensure safety.
Hundreds of vehicles, mainly lorries and passenger buses, were stuck on National Highway 1A for many hours on the morning of November 20.
Hundreds of vehicles are stuck on National Highway 1A in Khanh Hoa for many hours on November 20.
By midday on November 20 heavy rain was still falling across Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak, hampering recovery efforts and the reopening of the road.
In Lam Dong, Dalat faced the risk of isolation as most major routes to the city, including Khanh Le, Mimosa and Prenn passes, were blocked by landslides. As of the morning of November 20, Dalat remained connected to surrounding areas by only two passes, Sa Com and Ta Nung, though these also recorded multiple landslide points.
Both Prenn Pass (above) and Mimosa Pass (below) have been closed due to serious landslides.
According to the provincial construction department, authorities are deploying maximum manpower to repair the damaged mountain roads, but work can only proceed safely when the rain subsides.
For the landslide on Mimosa pass, local officials estimated it would take about 10 days to make temporary repairs and restore traffic.