Super typhoon Yagi, the most intense storm to strike Asia this year, claimed the lives of at least 21 individuals and injured 229 in northern Vietnam, according to state media reports.
Initially a super typhoon, Yagi has weakened to a tropical depression. However, the threat of additional flooding and landslides remains as it continues its westward journey.
In Hoa Binh province, a mountainous area, four family members perished when part of a hill collapsed onto their home around midnight local time on Sunday (Saturday 17:00 GMT).
A 51-year-old man managed to escape, but his wife, daughter, and two grandchildren were tragically killed when they were buried by the collapse. Authorities later recovered their bodies.
According to state media, a devastating landslide occurred in Sa Pa, located in the mountainous Lao Cai province to the north, around noon on Sunday, resulting in 17 people being buried. Rescue efforts have found six deceased and nine injured so far.
A 68-year-old woman, a one-year-old boy, and a newborn were among the fatalities reported.
Yagi made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday, striking Hai Phong and Quang Ninh provinces with winds reaching up to 203 km/h (126 mph), as noted by the Indo-Pacific Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre.
The storm caused significant damage, tearing roofs off buildings and uprooting trees, which led to widespread power outages, including in Hanoi.
Online footage captured car drivers cautiously navigating around motorbike riders stranded due to the severe winds.
State media documented four fatalities in Quang Ninh province and another death near Hanoi, in Hai Duong.
Rescue teams discovered 27 individuals at sea following reports of twelve missing fishermen. A total of 41 fishing vessels were reported either sunken or adrift post-storm.
On Sunday, several districts in the port city of Hai Phong were submerged under half a meter (1.6 feet) of floodwater, damaging power lines and electrical poles.
In the city of two million, which bore the full force of the storm, flying metal roof sheets and commercial signs were a common sight.
In Hai Phong, which hosts multiple multinational factories, power outages occurred on Saturday, and four of north Vietnam’s airports halted operations for much of the day.
At the Hai Au boat lock on Tuan Chau island, just north of Hai Phong, local residents reported that at least 23 boats were either heavily damaged or sunk.
Pham Van Thanh, a 51-year-old sailor, expressed to the media that he had never witnessed such a powerful and fierce typhoon.
He detailed that his crew had stayed on their tourist boat since Friday to prevent it from sinking, as the wind exerted tremendous pressure from behind, leading to the sinking of the first boat, followed by others.
Authorities have evacuated nearly 50,000 residents from coastal areas in Vietnam, advising everyone to stay indoors.
In response to the typhoon, schools across 12 northern provinces, including Hanoi, were temporarily closed.
The storm is anticipated to move into the northernmost regions of Laos by Sunday evening.
Prior to its arrival in Vietnam, the typhoon wreaked havoc on Hainan Island in China, known as China’s Hawaii, and in the Philippines, resulting in at least 24 deaths and numerous injuries.
On Friday, around 400,000 people were evacuated from Hainan Island, and all trains, boats, and flights were suspended; schools also closed.
Local reports from Hainan mentioned extensive power outages affecting roughly 830,000 households and significant crop losses.
Classified as a super typhoon, Yagi matches the intensity of a Category 5 hurricane.
Scientists attribute the increasing strength, frequency, and prolonged presence of typhoons and hurricanes over land to climate change.
The warmer ocean waters enhance the storms’ energy, boosting wind speeds, while a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, intensifying rainfall.
