HANOI/THAI NGUYEN, Sept 13 — The death toll in Vietnam from typhoon Yagi and the landslides and flash floods it triggered rose to 226 yesterday, the government's disaster agency said, as flood pressure eased in the capital Hanoi.
The Southeast Asian country is reeling from the impact of Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, which made landfall on Vietnam's northeastern coast on Saturday (September 7).
Over 100 people remain missing, while some 800 people have been injured, the agency said in a report.
Several districts in the capital Hanoi remained flooded yesterday, but the weather agency late in the day said flood pressure had eased, while flash floods and landslides continued to affect areas across northern Vietnam.
The city earlier evacuated thousands of people living near the swollen Red River as its waters rose to a 20-year high.
"There is a lot of heartbreak in the city and there was a lot of concern going into the evening.
"Many people who barely had anything have lost everything," said charity Blue Dragon Children's Foundation co-chief executive officer Skye Maconachie.
The government's weather forecast agency said late yesterday that the river had peaked in Hanoi and begun to subside.
North of Hanoi, landslides and severe floods are still affecting several areas, state media reported.
"I never thought my house would be underwater this deep. My clothes and furniture were all under the water.
"Many things were floating around too but luckily I closed the doors so nothing was washed away," said Hoang Van Ty outside his home in Thái Nguyên province.
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People wade through a flooded street following the impact of Typhoon Yagi in Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 11, 2024. — Picture by REUTERS[/caption]
55 people missing in flash flood
Thái Nguyên province is home to Samsung Electronics' largest smartphone manufacturing plant in Vietnam. Flood waters have also receded in some parts of the province where clean-up efforts are now taking place while residents are having their submerged TVs and motorbikes repaired.
"I only have this one motorbike to go to work with, but it was flooded so I have to bring it here to have it fixed. I can only go to work once it is fixed," said a 36-year-old Thái Nguyên resident at a motorbike repair shop.
Repair man Nguyen Van Truong said his shop had fixed 60 motorbikes over the past two days, with 20 more waiting.
"We are a bit overwhelmed, very overwhelmed actually. I am tired from the hard work but people need transport means to smoothly get everything back to normal," he said.
In Lào Cai province, authorities were rushing to search for 55 people missing in a flash flood yesterday that swept Nu Village on Tuesday (September 10), Vietnam News Agency reported.
The flash flood killed 46 people and injured 17 others in the village, the agency reported, adding that 300 soldiers and 359 local officials are joining the search and rescue effort.
The landslides and floods have inundated more than 200,000 hectares of rice and cash crop fields across northern Vietnam, the disaster management agency said.
The typhoon has also disrupted power supplies and blew off roofs of several factories in Hải Phòng and Quảng Ninh provinces, halting production.
Several countries, including Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States, have said were sending aid to Vietnam.
— Reuters
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A general view of a beach due to the impact of Typhoon Yagi, in Do Son district, Hai Phong city, Vietnam, on September 7, 2024. — Picture by REUTERS[/caption]
