Officials have reported that at least 127 people have lost their lives, and 54 others are missing in northern Vietnam due to the aftermath of super typhoon Yagi, which made landfall on Saturday. Heavy rainfall, landslides, and flooding continue to afflict the region.
The impact of the typhoon has led to thousands of individuals being stranded on rooftops in certain northern provinces, with some resorting to social media to seek urgent assistance on Tuesday. With 1.5 million people left without power, the devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi marks the most powerful storm to hit Vietnam in the past 30 years.
Footage captured by dashcams on Monday depicts the distressing moment when the Phong Chau bridge in Phu Tho province collapsed, causing multiple vehicles to plummet into the water below.
Although the typhoon has lessened in intensity to a tropical depression, authorities have cautioned that Yagi’s westward movement could trigger further disruption.
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Residents, such as 50-year-old Phan Thi Tuyet, residing in close proximity to the river expressed the unprecedented and devastating impact of the high waters, with many individuals having lost all their possessions and properties submerged underwater.
Winds nearing 150km/h (92 mph) brought about widespread destruction, including damaged bridges, roofs torn off buildings, disrupted factories, and extensive flooding and landslides. Several individuals are still unaccounted for, and authorities have issued flood and landslide warnings for 401 communes across 18 northern provinces.
In parts of Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai provinces, one-story homes were nearly entirely submerged, and residents sought refuge on their rooftops awaiting aid. The catastrophe has led to injuries for at least 752 people, as reported by officials at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Prior to its impact on Vietnam, Yagi had already claimed the lives of 24 individuals in southern China and the Philippines. Meteorologists note that as global temperatures rise, typhoons may bring stronger wind speeds and more intense rainfall, although the specific influence of climate change on individual storms can be complex.
