Thousands of people were urgently evacuated from severe floods following Typhoon Yagi’s impact on northern Vietnam. The typhoon resulted in the tragic loss of 63 lives, with 40 others reported missing.
Yagi made landfall on Saturday with winds exceeding 149 kilometres (92 miles) per hour, marking it as the most powerful typhoon to hit the region in three decades according to meteorologists.
The destructive storm caused infrastructural damage, destroyed buildings, triggered flooding, and led to landslides in various areas. Northern Vietnam, a densely populated region and a significant manufacturing center for global tech companies like Samsung, is currently grappling with severe flooding and submerged communities.
Residents in Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai cities found their one-storey homes almost completely underwater, necessitating rescue operations to reach those stranded and in need of assistance. Social media platforms were flooded with pleas for help and essential supplies from relatives of those affected by the floods.
In Hanoi, communities along the Red River faced rising water levels, leading to evacuations. Phan Thi Tuyet, a resident near the river, expressed despair over losing everything to the floodwaters.
In addition to the casualties, over 750 individuals have been injured due to flooding and landslides, as per the agriculture ministry’s updates on Tuesday.
– Bridge collapse –
Authorities took precautionary measures by halting heavy vehicle traffic on a major bridge over the Red River in central Hanoi and suspending train services on the Long Bien bridge due to rising water levels. This response came after a bridge collapse in Phu Tho province, where five people were rescued, but eight remained missing as of Tuesday.
The storm’s impact extended to causing power outages and disrupting factory operations in northern Vietnam, impacting major tech firms like Samsung and Foxconn.
Yagi claimed at least 24 lives in southern China and the Philippines before reaching Vietnam. Studies indicate that typhoons in the region are becoming more intense and lasting longer over land due to climate change.
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