Typhoon Yagi: 143 dead in Vietnam, 58 missing and capital Hanoi faces flood risk
Sept. 11, 2024, 3:58 a.m.
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Typhoon Yagi has left a devastating path in its wake, claiming the lives of at least 143 individuals in Vietnam. The government reported on Wednesday that an additional 58 people remain unaccounted for.
Apart from the loss of lives, Typhoon Yagi has also destroyed around 210,000 hectares of crops, as per Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture.
State media reports late on Tuesday revealed that the water level of the Red River in Hanoi has been increasing at a rate of 10 centimeters every hour.
As a precautionary measure, authorities have advised students to remain at home for the rest of the week due to the ongoing flood risk. Thousands of residents living in low-lying areas have been relocated to safer locations.
Yagi made landfall on Saturday, bringing with it winds exceeding 149 kilometers (92 miles) per hour and torrential rainfall that has resulted in unprecedented flooding, according to local residents.
Also read: WATCH: A busy bridge in typhoon-stricken Vietnam collapses, sending cars and bikes plunging into the Red River
In the capital city of Hanoi, floodwaters touched levels that have not been seen since 2008 while forecasters have warned more is expected in the city’s historic centre.
Phan Thi Tuyet, a 50-year-old resident near the swollen and rapidly rising Red River that flows through the capital, said she had never encountered such high water levels.
“I have lost everything, all 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 come to higher ground to save our lives. We could not bring any of the furniture with us. Everything is under water now.”
Rescue teams were working to reach residential areas to evacuate elderly individuals and children. Meanwhile, on social media, family members of those trapped in floodwaters were urgently requesting assistance and supplies in the early morning hours.
Advertisement In addition to the fatalities and missing persons, flooding and landslides have also resulted in injuries to at least 752 people, according to officials at the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday.
With inputs from agencies
