Severe floods are expected to inundate parts of Vietnam’s north. This includes the capital Hanoi, government officials said. The aftermath of typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Asia so far this year, continues to extract a deadly toll.
Landslides and floods triggered by the typhoon have killed at least 65 people. Atleast 39 others are missing in the north, the disaster management agency said on Tuesday. This is the latest update on the situation.
Most of the victims were killed in landslides and flash floods, the agency said in a report. It added that over 750 people have been injured.
Other northern areas are also facing severe flooding, state media reported. This includes the industrial hubs of Bac Giang and Thai Nguyen which host factories of several export-oriented multinationals. Companies such as Samsung Electronics and Apple supplier Foxconn are situated here too. It was not immediately clear if the companies were affected.
The typhoon made landfall on Saturday on Vietnam’s northeastern coast. It devastated a large swath of industrial and residential areas and brought heavy rains. The rains caused floods and landslides. Yagi had previously hit the Philippines and the southern Chinese island of Hainan.
Destruction Everywhere
Several rivers in northern Vietnam have risen to alarming levels. This has left many villages and residential areas inundated, according to the disaster agency and state media.
A 30-year-old bridge over the Red River in the northern province of Phu Tho collapsed on Monday. This left around eight people missing, according to a statement from the People’s Committee.
Authorities have subsequently banned or limited traffic on other bridges across the river. This includes one of Hanoi’s largest bridges, Chuong Duong Bridge.
Using public loudspeakers commonly used to broadcast Communist propaganda in the past, officials warned residents of the capital’s riverside Long Bien district to be on alert. They alerted the people about possible flooding, and asked to be ready to evacuate the area.
Flood waters have already inundated villages on the outskirts of Hanoi, state broadcaster VTV reported. Authorities were already evacuating residents from there.
Evacuations In Process
Evacuations were also taking place from flood-prone areas in Bac Giang province, the government said. Here, the typhoon and floods have caused damage estimated for now to be worth 300 billion dong ($12.1 million).
More than 4,600 soldiers have been deployed in the province to support the evacuation and support flood victims.
Lao Cai province has reported the highest casualties with 19 people killed and 11 missing, mostly in landslides, according to the disaster management agency.
Floods have also inundated 148,600 hectares or almost 7% of rice fields in northern Vietnam and 26,100 hectares of cash crops and damaged nearly 50,000 houses in northern Vietnam, according to the agency.
(with inputs from Reuters)
