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As central Việt Nam reeled under devastating floods, the public was troubled not just by the scale of destruction, but by a pressing question: where were the country’s highest leaders during this life-or-death moment for tens of thousands of citizens?

From Nov. 19, when water discharge from the Sông Ba Hạ hydropower plant surged to 9,233 cubic meters per second, through Nov. 23, when floodwaters began to recede, the movements of the leadership require scrutiny.

This timeline compiles the activities of Việt Nam’s “five pillars” during that critical period. The goal is to present a full set of objective facts, allowing for an independent assessment of the leadership's role during the recent crisis.

Nov. 19, 2025

While prolonged heavy rains severed transportation routes and submerged communities, the leadership was scattered across domestic and international locations. As of Nov. 19, deep flooding had severely affected thousands of households, leaving approximately 15 people dead or missing.

Against this backdrop, the leadership’s schedule was as follows:

In Cà Mau, General Secretary Tô Lâm conducted a working visit to Cà Mau Province and the Hòn Khoai island cluster. His agenda focused on meeting with local leaders to discuss marine economic development and national security. He spent the afternoon discussing infrastructure connectivity and island planning with the Cà Mau provincial authorities. In Hà Nội, National Assembly Chair Trần Thanh Mẫn presided over the 10th sitting of the 15th National Assembly , focusing on institutional and legal drafting for the country's new development phase. In Algiers, the capital city of Algeria, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính met with Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb to sign six cooperation documents and agree on upgrading Việt Nam–Algeria relations to a Strategic Partnership. Reporters from our magazine could not identify any public activities by State President Lương Cường on this day. His last public appearance before this date was Nov. 18 in Đà Nẵng City, where he visited and encouraged residents affected by the flood, honoring those with meritorious service Nov. 20, 2025

Flooding in south-central Việt Nam worsened significantly. Water levels surpassed historical records at the Kỳ Lộ River (Đắk Lắk), the Ba River (Đắk Lắk), and the Dinh River (Khánh Hòa). By the morning of Nov. 20, the death toll rose to 21 , with six new casualties reported since the previous day.

In the morning, General Secretary Tô Lâm visited the Naval Command of Region 5 and the Command of Coast Guard Region 4, emphasizing the need for modern forces that are “lean, streamlined, and strong.” Diplomatic schedules remained full in Hà Nội. President Lương Cường welcomed Czech Senate Chairman Milos Vystrcil at the Presidential Palace. Simultaneously, National Assembly Chair Trần Thanh Mẫn hosted an official welcoming ceremony and a formal reception for South Korean National Assembly Chairman Woo Won Shik. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the G20 Summit. Prime Minister Chính signed Dispatch No. 225 to concentrate efforts to mitigate the effects of the severe floods in Việt Nam’s central region. This marked the first directive from top leadership since conditions escalated on Nov. 19. Nov. 21, 2025

As of Nov. 21, the death toll spiked. The number of people dead or missing in south-central Việt Nam reached approximately 68 (55 confirmed dead, 13 missing). Đắk Lắk Province alone recorded 27 fatalities and 8 missing persons, while Khánh Hòa Province reported 14 deaths.

Tô Lâm held separate meetings with South Korean National Assembly Chair Woo Won Shik and Czech Senate Chairman Milos Vystrcil at the Party Central Committee headquarters to discuss bilateral relations and strategic partnerships. Lương Cường met with Chairman Woo Won Shik at the Presidential Palace, focusing on furthering the comprehensive strategic partnership, defense, security, education, and cultural cooperation. Trần Thanh Mẫn hosted the welcoming ceremony and held talks with Czech Senate Chairman Milos Vystrcil. Phạm Minh Chính met with local businesses to promote trade and energy cooperation, attended the G20 Summit, and met with the Vietnamese community in the evening. From Johannesburg, Chính signed Dispatch No. 226 , authorizing the use of national reserve supplies to support flood response efforts in the central region. Nov. 22, 2025

As of Nov. 22, the Directorate of Dike Management and Disaster Prevention reported that the casualty count remained high. Floods and landslides in south-central Việt Nam resulted in 68 dead and missing persons, comprising 55 confirmed fatalities and 13 missing. Of these, Đắk Lắk recorded 27 deaths and 8 missing persons, while Khánh Hòa reported 14 deaths.

Standing Secretariat member, the fifth pillar, Trần Cẩm Tú, issued instructions to Khánh Hòa Province to strictly implement directives from top leadership (including the Politburo and General Secretary Tô Lâm). He ordered the mobilization of all resources to prevent isolation and ensure residents had food, clean water, and medicine.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính participated in the official G20 Summit activities, discussing sustainable development, energy transition, and the global economy.

Chairperson Trần Thanh Mẫn presided over the first Legislative Development Forum themed “Improving Institutions and Laws to Meet the Requirements of National Development in a New Era,” at the National Assembly House.

Nov. 23, 2025

As of Nov. 23, the standing agency for disaster prevention and control reported that flooding in central provinces had left 102 people dead or missing. Additionally, 1,154 houses collapsed or were damaged, and 200,992 homes were inundated.

On the morning of Nov. 23, our reporters from were unable to identify any public activities by either General Secretary Tô Lâm or President Lương Cường.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính attended the summit’s third discussion session, themed “A Fair and Just Future for All — Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence.”

At approximately 2:00 a.m. local time (7:00 a.m. Hà Nội time), Chính chaired an emergency online meeting regarding the floods. He directed ministries and local authorities to prioritize disaster relief, ensure social welfare, and deploy military forces to isolated areas.

Thạch Hãn wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on Nov. 28, 2025. Đàm Vĩnh Hằng translated it into English for The Vietnamese Magazine.