Typhoon Yagi Kills 87 in Vietnam, 64 Still Missing

Landslides and widespread flooding triggered by typhoon Yagi have killed at least 87 people in Vietnam and left 64 others missing, local authorities said today as recovery and relief efforts continue. Typhoon Yagi - the strongest to strike northern Vietnam in around 30 years - swept across the region last Saturday, bringing ferocious winds and torrential rain. Some localities such as Thai Nguyen, Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces have seen rainfall of up to 50 centimetres in the past 48 hours. It is the typhoon's aftermath that has proved especially deadly, with multiple landslides reported as heavy rains continue, the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority said in a report. Nineteen deaths were recorded in the mountainous northern province of Cao Bang and 36 people are still missing. In Cao Bang, a 16-seater bus was buried by a landslide. Local authorities have found two bodies and are searching for 15 missing. Landslides in Yen Bai province killed 22 people and left six others missing in the afterma th of the super storm. In Phu Tho province, two hours north-west of Hanoi, at least three lorries, two cars and numerous motorbikes plunged into the Red River after a bridge collapsed. Across northern Vietnam, Yagi damaged more than 46,000 houses. Numerous stores, buildings and schools had their roofs blown off, while hundreds of thousands of trees were uprooted across the country's northern provinces. The storm killed nearly 700,000 poultry and cattle and inundated almost 150,000 hectares of rice paddy fields. It also sunk at least 85 ships and destroyed nearly 1,600 fisheries. Heavy rains have also persisted in the Vietnamese capital. The Red River has reached its highest level in 16 years, flooding nearby areas and forcing the evacuation of nearly 500 families as of this morning, the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority reported. Water levels continue to rise in many localities in northern Vietnam, causing widespread flooding. In many places, floodwater has risen up to 2 metres, forcing peop le to seek shelter on rooftops. Many areas are isolated by the floods, and rescue forces are trying to reach them by boat to provide food and take them to safety. With heavy rains expected today and tomorrow (Wednesday), the authorities have warned that further flooding and landslides could occur, especially in mountainous provinces. Source: Oman News Agency