Four people in a family in Vietnam’s northern mountainous province of Bac Kan were killed in a landslide that occurred during a downpour at dawn on Tuesday, local authorities reported.

The tragic incident happened in Nghien Loan Commune of the province’s Pac Nam District at around 0:30 am on Tuesday, the administration of the commune told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

At that time, five people were sleeping in their house when a large amount of soil from a nearby hill fell onto the wooden house during a torrential rain, according to VTC News. 

Only one of them, N.T.S., 17, managed to escape while the remaining four were buried in the debris caused by the landslide. 

Rescuers were deployed to the scene for a salvage operation. After about five hours of search, they found the four buried people, but all of them had died. 

The dead victims included H.T.T., 43, N.C.C., 41, N.T.M., 18, and a one month old infant. 

Rescuers have handed the four bodies over to their relatives for burial. 

This family, which is from the Hmong ethnic group, is considered poor in the commune, according to local authorities, which have paid a visit to the victims’ relatives for condolence and support.

The rainfall volume in Bac Kan amounted to 90 mm from 8:00 pm on Monday to 6:30 am on Tuesday, the Vietnam News Agency reported, citing the local Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

It was the prolonged torrential rain that caused the landslide in Nghien Loan Commune, the steering committee stated.

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