Vietnam evacuates 59,000 as typhoon death toll rises to 82

Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes on Tuesday as severe flooding hit northern Vietnam from Typhoon Yagi, raising the death toll to 82.

Hurricane Yagi hit on Saturday, bringing winds of more than 149 kilometres (92 miles) per hour and heavy rainfall that caused flooding not seen in decades, locals said.

Local authorities said on Tuesday that more than 59,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Yen Bai province after flooding inundated nearly 18,000 homes.

Flooding in Hanoi reaches levels not seen since 2008state media reported, citing a senior local official, and forecasters warned that more rain was expected in the city's historic center.

Citizens flee from the typhoon

Phan Thi Tuyet, 50, who lives near the fast-flowing Red River that runs through the capital, said she had never experienced such high water levels.

“I've lost everything, everything is gone,” she told AFP, clutching her two dogs as she was evacuated by boat along with other residents whose homes were flooded.

“I had to get to higher ground to save our lives. We couldn't take the furniture with us. Everything is underwater now.”

Typhoons in the region are forming closer to the coast, strengthening faster and staying over land longer due to climate change, according to a study published in July.

Yagi collapsed bridges, tore roofs off buildings, damaged factories and caused massive flooding and landslides, leaving 64 people still missing.

Hanoi authorities said more than 25,000 trees in the city were uprooted by the storm, with huge trunks blocking key roads in the city centre, causing major traffic jams.

The north of the country, a densely populated region that is a major manufacturing hub for global tech companies including Samsung, has been hit hard, with water levels in the city of Yen Bai reaching record levels, meteorologists said.

Authorities have issued flood and landslide warnings for 401 communes in 18 northern provinces.

Single-story houses in parts of Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai towns were almost completely flooded early Tuesday, with residents waiting on their roofs for help.

Rescuers were trying to reach residential areas to pull out elderly people and children. On social media, relatives of those trapped in the water posted desperate pleas for help and supplies in the early morning hours.

All crops were flooded, including bananas, guava and corn, which are usually sold in nearby markets.

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The bridge collapsed

In addition to those killed and missing, at least 752 people have been affected by floods and landslides, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

On Tuesday, authorities stopped heavy vehicle traffic on the main bridge over the Red River in central Hanoi and suspended train service across the Long Bien Bridge due to rising water levels.

The government's action follows the tragic collapse of a bridge upriver in the northern province of Phu Tho on Monday.

Photos show that half of the 375-metre Phong Chau Bridge has disappeared.

Five people who were crossing the bridge at the time were rescued, but eight others remain missing, authorities said.

The storm also caused power outages and major disruptions to factories in the north of the country, a major manufacturing hub for a number of global tech companies.

Susumu Yoshida of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry told AFP that more than 80 Japanese companies had suffered some form of damage from the typhoon, including damage to factory buildings, equipment, raw materials and products.

Some of them have suspended or partially suspended production and will not resume work until the end of the week, he said.

At least 24 people were killed as Yagi swept through southern China and the Philippines before hitting Vietnam.

Author: Agence France-Presse

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