Serious landslides have occurred at many locations in a district in the north-central Vietnamese province of Quang Binh following torrential rain over the past weeks, a situation that was considered unprecedented by local authorities.

Massive amounts of rock and soil have recently washed downhill in Thuan Tien Village (Thua Hoa Commune), Thuan Hoan Village (Dong Hoa Commune), and Dam Thuy 2 Village (Thach Hoa Commune) in Tuyen Hoa District, Quang Binh Province, according to Dinh Xuan Thuong, head of the district’s Office of Agriculture and Rural Development.

This situation is unprecedented and may become more serious and complicated if downpours continue lashing the localities in the coming days, Thuong added.

At Keo Mountain in Thuan Hoa Commune, large and deep cracks have been discovered over the past days, which have hampered local traffic and posed dangers to the lives of residents.

About 20 households are residing at the foot of the mountain and may have to be evacuated as soon as possible, said Cao Xuan Tinh, chairman of the Tuyen Hoa People’s Committee.

Two mudslides previously occurred at Keo Mountain on Sunday, but there were no casualties reported.

“We heard a loud noise at around 11:30 pm and ran outside just to find that a large amount of soil had washed downhill,” Tran Thi Lien, a 57-year-old resident, recalled.

“I took my grandchild to a safer location, before another rockslide happened at 3:00 am on the following day and severely damaged our home."

Mai Tan, 80, who lives in the same neighborhood, said he is waiting for financial support from authorities so that he can move to a safer place, after his house was hit by the landslide.

In Thach Hoa Commune, about 100,000 cubic meters of soil has buried the Mang Hang irrigation dam, which is crucial in providing water for over 80 hectares of paddy fields and 1,300 families in the locality.

Authorities in Tuyen Hoa District have been examining landslide-stricken areas to implement necessary measures to ensure safety for local residents.

According to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, Storm Saudel was located at 360 kilometers east of Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago on Thursday afternoon.

It is forecast to become stronger as it heads to north-central Vietnam in the coming days.

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