Another landslide leaves dozens buried in mud in central Vietnam

• Bodies of 13 rescue team members pulled from landslide rubble
• First nine bodies recovered from power plant landslide site

The number of people feared missing in the incident include two commanding officers, 8 professional soldiers, and non-commissioned officers.

The Quang Tri administration convened an urgent meeting overnight to discuss rescue work.

Soldiers have been dispatched to search for the missing in the landslide. (Photo: thanhnien.vn).

Dozens of officers and soldiers of Division 337 were sleeping when the landslide collapsed at around 01.25am October 18, Nguyen Duc Thao, political commissar of Division 337 told Zing newswire.

“We had rescued five and 22 others are now buried in mud and soil,” he said.

However, heavy rain and rising floodwaters hampered rescue workers access the site.  

Heavy rain over the past few days has caused flash floods and landslides to hit central Vietnam over the past few days, claiming 61 lives. (October 17 update).

On October 12, a landslide buried a house complex of Song Bo Forest Rangers Station in Thua Thien-Hue where 21 officials and soldiers on a rescue mission at Rao Trang 3 hydropower plant were sleeping.

Eight people managed to escape the incident, the remaining 21 were buried in mud and soil. Rescue workers retrieved the 13 bodies of the victims on October 15. A memorial service for them is due to be held on October 18.