Vietnam’s ancient cities of Hue, Hoi An vanish under floodwaters after record rainfall
Tourists were evacuated by boat from Hoi An while in Hue, houses were submerged and major streets cut off
Rainfall in the central city of Hue reached 1,085mm (42 inches) in 24 hours by late Monday, the highest volume ever recorded in Vietnam, according to the country’s meteorological department.
By Tuesday morning, water levels in Hue’s iconic Perfume River had risen to 4.62 meters (15 feet) and were waist-deep in the Unesco-listed former imperial capital and the ancient town of Hoi An.
Tourists were evacuated by boat from Hoi An after persistent rains and releases from hydroelectric dams caused water in the Hoai River to rise nearly 2 meters (6 feet 6 inches). State media said around 40,000 tourists were moved to other hotels.
“The flood was rising so fast and we had to quickly relocate our guests to other hotels outside the flooding area for their safety,” said Nguyen Ngoc Anh, a hotelier near the Thu Bon river in Hoi An. He said they could only secure the doors of the hotels and evacuate the flooded premises.