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Typhoon Yagi has killed at least 59 people as torrential rains triggered landslides and floods, and Asia’s most powerful storm of the year slammed into northern Vietnam over the weekend.
The storm caused widespread destruction over the weekend. The national disaster management agency said Monday that more than 300 people were injured and 24 were missing in the quake.
After hitting China and the Philippines, Typhoon Yagi made landfall on the northeastern coast of Vietnam on Saturday. And heavy rains and strong winds caused power and communications disruptions, especially in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces.
The typhoon initially killed nine people when it made landfall, but the death toll rose further as floods and landslides killed another 50.
A bridge collapsed and a bus was swept away by floodwaters on Monday, state media reported, and more rain is expected to hit the area, raising concerns about the ongoing danger.
The mountainous province of Lao Cai suffered the highest number of casualties, with 13 people killed by landslides and one by explosive flooding.
According to the National Hydrological and Meteorological Prediction Center, rainfall amounts in various parts of the affected area ranged from 208 to 433 mm (8.2 to 17.1 inches).
Water levels in several rivers in the northern region are reaching dangerous levels, increasing the risk of flash flooding and structural damage.
Yagi weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday but is expected to bring more rain to Vietnam. The Meteorological Department issued a warning on Monday, predicting further flooding and landslides in northern provinces such as Lang Son, Cao Bang, Yen Bai and Thai Nguyen.
“Floods and landslides are destroying the environment and threatening people’s lives,” the center said in a statement.
The casualties included a family of four who died when their home collapsed after a mountainside collapsed due to heavy rains in the mountainous province of Hoa Binh.
A landslide on Mount Huanglian has killed six people, including a newborn and a one-year-old child.
“We found six bodies in the landslide, including a one-year-old boy and a newborn baby,” a local official from Sa Pa People’s Committee, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
“It rains a lot, so the soil is weak, [the] landslide.”
The Department of Defense disaster management agency reported that some people were killed when trees fell on them or when boats drifted away during the storm.
Thirty ships have sunk due to strong winds and waves at the Quang Ninh Province ship lock area in Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On land, more than 3,300 homes and more than 120,000 hectares of crops were damaged.
In addition to the loss of life, local fishermen were left to investigate the severe damage to their boats and equipment caused by the storm.
Before hitting Vietnam, the cyclone devastated parts of southern China and the Philippines, where it killed at least 24 people and injured dozens more.
This resulted in the evacuation of 400,000 people in Hainan alone.
Experts have noted a worrying trend in the region’s typhoon behavior: Storms are now forming closer to the coast, intensifying faster and staying over land longer due to the effects of climate change. A recent study published in July warns that the risk will only increase as climate patterns continue to evolve.
