Asia’s most powerful storm this year made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday, the meteorological agency said.
The storm killied at least two people after tearing through China’s island of Hainan.
Loss Of Lives
In Hainan, the storm reportedly killed another two and injured dozens more.
Super Typhoon Yagi hit island districts of north Vietnam around 1300 local time (0600 GMT).
It generated winds of up to 160 kph (99 mph) near its centre, having lost power from its peak of 234 kph (145 mph) in Hainan a day earlier.
People Have Gone Missing
A body was recovered near the coastal city of Halong, while a dozen people were missing at sea, state media reported on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, a 53-year-old motorcyclist was killed after a tree fell on him in the northern Hai Duong province, according to the state media.
Philippines the First To Be Hit
Yagi first hit the Philippines where it claimed the lives of at least 16 people.
Vietnam’s coastal city of Haiphong, an industrial hub with a
population of two million people that hosts factories from foreign
multinationals and local carmaker VinFast, was among the
hardest hit by winds with speeds of up to 90 kph.
Power Outages
As the typhoon approached, the city experienced power
outages on Saturday, authorities said.
The strong winds smashed windows in buildings.
A witness told Reuters that waves were as high as three meters when they hit the coast.
Trees fell and metal roofing sheets flew away from buildings and parking lots, pictures and footages on local media showed.
Earlier in Hainan, which has a population of more than 10
million, the storm felled trees, flooded roads and cut power to
more than 800,000 homes.
Airports Closed
Vietnam evacuated nearly 50,000 people from coastal towns
and deployed 450,000 military personnel, the government said.
It also suspended operations for several hours at four
airports on Saturday, including Hanoi’s Noi Bai, the busiest in
the north, cancelling more than 300 flights.
High Schools Also Closed
High schools were also closed in 12 northern provinces,
including in the capital Hanoi, which has a population of 8.5
million.
Public Transport Suspended
Authorities in the capital suspended public transport on
buses and its two elevated metro lines on Saturday afternoon,
state media reported.
The meteorological agency has warned of risks of heavy flooding in the city centre.
Hanoi resident Nguyen Manh Quan, 40, said: “The wind is
strong enough to blow a person over.”
Dang Van Phuong, also 40, said: “I’ve never seen a storm
like this, you can’t drive in these winds.”
Typhoons Becoming Stronger
Typhoons are becoming stronger, fuelled by warmer oceans,
amid climate change, scientists say.
Last week, Typhoon Shanshan slammed into southwestern Japan,
the strongest storm to hit the country in decades.
Yagi Named After A Japanese Word
Yagi is named after the Japanese word for goat and the
constellation of Capricornus.
(With Inputs From Reuters)
