Supertyphoon Yagi and floods claim at least 21 lives in North Vietnam

Yagi, which made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday, and the floods resulting from the super typhoon left at least 21 people dead and nearly 230 injured.

The figure comes from an update by the Department of Dike Management and Natural Disaster Prevention of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as of Sunday, 6 p.m.

Typhoon Yagi hits the city of Ha Long in the coastal province of Quang Ninh in northern Vietnam, September 7, 2024. Photo courtesy of Quan doi Nhan Dan (People's Army) newspaper. Of the dead, six were in Lao Cai province, five in Quang Ninh province – where the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay is located, two in the neighboring city of Hai Phong, one in Hai Duong, one in Hanoi, four in Hoa Binh, one in Yen Bai, one in Lang Son and one soldier.

Three other people were reported missing. Over 8,000 homes were damaged by strong storms.

The above records do not include an incident in Sa Pa city, Lao Cai province.

According to a report released by Sa Pa authorities at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, four households were buried by a landslide in Muong Hoa commune at around 1 p.m. Initial statistics showed that 26 people lived in the four households, four of whom were found dead.

A restaurant was hit by Typhoon Yagi in Ha Long, Quang Ninh province, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Vietnam News Agency. The storm wreaked havoc on the northern coast and swept away many ships in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong. Extensive power outages were reported in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh and Hai Duong provinces. Many houses, shops, offices and schools had their roofs blown off or damaged.

At a meeting to deal with the aftermath of the super typhoon on Sunday morning, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Super Typhoon Yagi and its circulation had had widespread impacts in 26 locations from the northern region to the central province of Thanh Hoa.

Trees were uprooted on a street in Hanoi's Ha Dong district. Photo courtesy of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper. In the capital Hanoi, three people were killed by fallen trees on the street and seven others were injured.

By 11 p.m. on Saturday, Hanoi had counted more than 2,200 uprooted trees and broken branches, dozens of damaged motorcycles and cars, nearly 300 collapsed walls and numerous flooded streets.

A street in Ha Dong district of Hanoi is still underwater on September 8, 2024. Photo courtesy of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper. Super Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Quang Ninh at around 1 p.m. on Saturday, reaching maximum wind speeds of 166 km/h. Rainfall in northeast Vietnam reached as much as 215 mm in some areas. This was the strongest storm in Asia this year and in northern Vietnam in decades.

After the typhoon passed over Hanoi, it caused further damage in northern provinces such as Bac Ninh, Hoa Binh, Yen Bai, Son La and Lang Son before weakening to a tropical depression.

According to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Weather Forecasting, after the typhoon weakens to a tropical depression, the entire plains, lowlands and mountainous regions of the north will continue to experience heavy rains on Sunday and Monday. Average 24-hour rainfall is estimated at 100-150 mm, with some areas reaching over 200 mm.

There is a high risk of river and stream flooding, as well as flash floods and landslides in some areas. Urban areas remain at high risk of flooding.

Eighteen northern provinces were warned of flash floods and landslides.

Meteorologists warn that flash floods and landslides could have negative impacts on the environment, threaten human lives, cause local traffic congestion, disrupt vehicular traffic, and harm production and socio-economic activities.

Affected localities must regularly monitor real-time warnings about areas at risk of flash floods and landslides, updated online on the website of the General Department of Hydrometeorology and in separate bulletins. Vietnam News Agency reported.