Heavy rain, floods, landslides and even a bridge collapse: the extent of the destruction caused by Super Typhoon Yagi is now becoming clearer in Vietnam. The number of deaths in the Southeast Asian country as a result of the most violent tropical storm in decades has risen to at least 65. In addition, 39 people are missing, local authorities announced on Tuesday.
According to authorities, eight people are among the missing, and they have been searched for since the collapse of a busy bridge north of the capital Hanoi. It crossed the Red River, which had turned into a raging torrent during the storm. According to local media reports, several trucks, cars and motorcycles were swept into the depths on Monday morning.
What had happened?
Super typhoon Yagi raged for 15 hours in Vietnam over the weekend, mainly in the north, after sweeping through parts of China. The Chinese Meteorological Administration classified the storm as the strongest autumn typhoon to hit mainland China since 1949. At least four people were killed in the People’s Republic and dozens were injured. In Vietnam, the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting spoke of the strongest storm in 30 years.
The destruction is enormous
According to the disaster management agency, 46,000 houses were destroyed in the north of the country, the roofs of numerous shops, houses and schools were blown away, and hundreds of thousands of trees were uprooted in several provinces. In addition, around 700,000 livestock, mainly poultry and cattle, died. In addition, 85 ships sank in the turbulent sea. Almost 150,000 hectares of rice fields were flooded and almost 1,600 fishing grounds were destroyed. Several airports temporarily closed operations over the weekend.
Rescue and relief efforts are ongoing. The Red River, which flows through Hanoi, has overflowed its banks in several places, which is why roads were closed and around 500 families had to leave their homes on Tuesday. Heavy rain continued to fall in many areas in northern Vietnam, which is why authorities warned of landslides and flash floods.
Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters. Increasing global warming increases the likelihood of strong storms.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240910-930-228196/1
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