In Lam Dong province, Lam Dong Hydrometeorological Station said that 90% of the land area in the area is saturated with water, with a high risk of flash floods on small streams and sloping landslides. Localities such as Dam Rong, D'Ran, Lac Duong, Nam Ban, Hiep Thanh... along with National Highway 20, 27, 27C, 28B, Dai Ninh, Prenn... are on the list of special warnings.
From the evening of November 16 to the morning of November 17, there were a series of serious landslides on many mountain passes. At Khanh Le Pass (connecting Khanh Hoa - Lam Dong), a landslide at around 11pm on November 16 hit a passenger bus, killing 6 people and injuring 16 others.
At Khanh Son Pass (Khanh Hoa), at around 6:00 p.m. the same day, a large landslide occurred in the Tuong Vy stream area that buried 3 people. Rescue forces are making efforts to search.
Faced with the high risk of landslides, both directions on Khanh Le Pass and Song Pha Pass (connecting Lam Dong - Khanh Hoa) from Lam Dong are currently closed to traffic. Ngoan Chua Pass and Khanh Son Pass - connecting Khanh Hoa with Lam Dong have also been temporarily blocked to ensure safety.
At Prenn Pass, at around 9:30 a.m. on November 17, Lam Dong provincial authorities discovered a crack dozens of meters long and a landslide on part of the road surface.
To ensure safety, local authorities have blocked the road and banned all vehicles from circulating. Vehicles coming and going from Da Lat area are diverted through the Mimosa Pass. At the same time, the Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee requested the Department of Agriculture and Environment to urgently declare a natural disaster emergency for this section.
Prenn Pass with a length of about 7.4km is the gateway connecting Da Lat city with Lien Khuong airport, Dau Giay - Lien Khuong expressway, a vital traffic route to Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces.
In early 2023, Lam Dong province invested in upgrading and expanding Prenn Pass from 7m to 14.5m. The project started construction on February 10, 2023 and was completed after about 1 year of construction. The warranty period is 12 months from the date of completion of acceptance and putting the project into use (July 26, 2024 - July 26, 2025).
Mr. Pham Van Hung - General Director of Deo Ca Construction Joint Stock Company, representative of the construction contractor, said that the project has been completed, handed over for use according to requirements and the warranty period has also expired in July 2025.
After being upgraded and expanded with a scale of 4 lanes, with a lighting system, Prenn Pass has contributed to improving traffic capacity, ensuring safety and creating a new look for Da Lat gateway. Through domestic and foreign media, the route is considered the widest, most beautiful and modern mountain pass in Vietnam.
"As a direct construction unit, we are also very proud that the route is loved and praised by people at home and abroad. Therefore, we are also very sad and saddened when natural disasters damage part of the road, said Mr. Hung, adding that although the project has been accepted, handed over and the warranty period has expired, with its reputation and capacity, the unit is always ready to coordinate and support the locality in the repair work to soon operate the Prenn Pass smoothly, safely, conveniently for people as well as tourists to travel, while restoring the original beauty of the road.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the area from Ha Tinh to Lam Dong on November 17 and 18 will continue to have heavy to very heavy rain, with common rainfall from 100-450mm, some places over 700mm. Forecast of heavy rain and the risk of landslides and flash floods is likely to last for many days to come.
Therefore, people need to be very careful, absolutely comply with the road ban signals and traffic diversion instructions of the authorities. It is necessary to closely monitor weather forecasts and natural disaster warnings to proactively respond and ensure safety.
