More than 127 dead in Vietnam super typhoon
According to officials, at least 127 people have died and 54 are missing in northern Vietnam following a super typhoon that struck on Saturday. The storm continues to bring heavy rainfall, landslides, and flooding.
In several northern provinces, thousands of people have been seen stranded on rooftops, and others have made urgent calls for help on social media as of Tuesday.
Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm Vietnam has faced in 30 years, has devastated the northern region, leaving 1.5 million people without electricity.
On Monday, dashcam footage captured the collapse of the Phong Chau bridge in Phu Tho province, causing several vehicles to fall into the water below.
Although Typhoon Yagi has now weakened to a tropical depression, authorities caution that it will continue to cause significant disruption as it moves westward.
Phan Thi Tuyet, 50, a resident near the river, told AFP she had never encountered such high water levels.
“I have lost everything; it’s all gone,” she said, holding her two dogs. “We had to move to higher ground to save our lives and couldn’t bring any furniture. Everything is submerged now.”
The storm – which brought winds of nearly 150km/h (92mph) – has damaged bridges, torn roofs off buildings, damaged factories and triggered widespread flooding and landslides, leaving 64 people still missing.
Authorities have now issued flood and landslide warnings for 401 communes across 18 northern provinces.
One-storey homes in parts of Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai provinces were almost completely submerged in the early hours of Tuesday, with residents waiting on the roofs for help.
As well as the dead and missing, flooding and landslides have also injured at least 752 people, officials at the ministry of agriculture said on Tuesday.
Before hitting Vietnam, Yagi left 24 people dead across southern China and the Philippines.
Meteorologists say that as the world warms typhoons can bring higher wind speeds and more intense rainfall, although the influence of climate change on individual storms is complicated.
