Continual inundation caused by heavy downpours since the beginning of this week has seriously impacted the southern Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, with local residents now struggling to deal with the aftermath.

Torrential rain started dampening the island, a district administered by the southern province of Kien Giang, on Monday and lingered until the following day, resulting in large-scale flooding on Tuesday.

Duong Dong Town suffered the most severe inundation, as water levels rose up to two meters in some locations.

According to the Phu Quoc Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, over 3,870 houses were submerged, about 10 hectares of crops inundated, and 1,675 chickens killed.

Local residents were yet to recover from the disaster when it began pouring non-stop from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, which submerged almost all locations across the island.

More than 4,410 houses have been inundated, 3,800 of which are located in Duong Dong Town, said Mai Van Huynh, secretary of the Phu Quoc Party Committee.

Many areas in the town were completely isolated, the official added.

Local authorities have mobilized thousands of military, police, border guard, and coast guard officers to evacuate residents from dangerous zones.

Damage caused by the floods has amounted to VND107 billion (US$4.7 million).

Rainwater started to recede on Saturday morning, but many areas were still flooded, posing challenges for local residents and commuters.

Subsidence also occurred along multiple streets.

Local authorities attributed the floods to the encroachment and filling of local streams, adversely affecting the drainage capacity of the island.

They also believed that the island’s drainage system, which was developed in 2003, is no longer suitable given the current demand.

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