A worker has been killed by a landslide while carrying out repairs to a road in Dà Lat, Lâm Đồng Province, in the southern Central Highlands of Vietnam, on Monday 26 August 2013. The man has been named as Hoang Trung Doan (41) of northern Phu Tho Province. Local authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident, but it is likely to have been connected to heavy rains that fell across the country overnight, with much of the country receiving 60-130 mm of rain. Landslides are are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall.
The site of the Dà Lat landslide on Monday 26 August 2013. Báo Người Lao Động.
Like other south and east Asian nations, Vietnam has suffered exceptional rains this year, leading to flooding in parts of the country and a number of landslides, though it has largely managed to avoid fatalities until this week. Much of the flooding has been concentrated in the north of the country, close to the border with China.
The approximate location of the 26 August Dà Lat landslide. Google Maps.
See also At least three dead following landslide in Guizhou Province, China, Three people killed in Guangxi landslides, Three killed in Java landslide, Two women killed by landslide in Chittagong, Bangladesh and Four people killed by landslide in North Sulawesi.
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