By Agencies – published by CNA and Thai Newsroom
Hanoi – Emergency workers were racing to evacuate thousands of people from severe floods today (Sep. 10) after Typhoon Yagi swept through northern Vietnam, killing 63 people and leaving 40 others missing.
About 752 people have also been injured in flooding and landslides, officials at the ministry of agriculture said.
Yagi, the most powerful typhoon to hit northern Vietnam in 30 years, downed bridges, tore roofs off buildings and damaged factories after making landfall on Saturday carrying winds in excess of 149kmh.
The north of the country is now battling serious flooding, with several communities partially underwater.
A 30-year-old bridge over the Red River in the northern province of Phu Tho collapsed on Monday, leaving eight missing, according to a statement from the provincial People’s Committee.
Reports said 10 cars and trucks along with two motorbikes fell into the river.
Pham Truong Son, 50, a survivor of the bridge collapse, said he was driving on the bridge on his motorcycle when he heard a loud noise.
Before he knew what was happening, he was falling into the river. Son said he managed to swim and hold on to a drifting banana tree to stay afloat before he was rescued.
Authorities subsequently banned or limited traffic on other bridges across the river, including Chuong Duong Bridge in Hanoi, according to state media reports.
“All gone”
One-storey homes in parts of Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai cities were almost completely submerged in the early hours of this morning, with residents waiting on the roofs for help.
In Hanoi, communities along the Red River were also partially underwater, with people forced to evacuate.
Phan Thi Tuyet, 50, who lives close to the river, said she had never experienced such high water.
“I have lost everything, all gone. I had to come to higher ground to save our lives. We can not bring with us any of the furniture. Everything is underwater now.”
Meanwhile the Thai Meteorological Department warned that over the next 24 hours the North will experience heavy to very heavy rain in some areas, while the Northeast and East will experience heavy rain in some zones.
People in the aforementioned areas should beware of the dangers of heavy downpour and accumulated rain, which may cause flash floods and forest runoff, especially on hillsides, near waterways and lowlands. This is because a strong low-pressure cell is covering the upper part of Myanmar, along with a moderate southwesterly monsoon having spread across the upper Andaman Sea, Thailand and the upper Gulf of Thailand.
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Top and below: Severe flooding in Vietnam with a bridge over the Red River having collapsed. Photos: Kanthorn MpsThe Wild Chronicles Group and published by Naewna
Front Page: A bridge collapse due to floods triggered by typhoon Yagi in Phu Tho province, Vietnam, Sep. 9, 2024. Photo: VNA via AP/Bui Van Lanh and published by CNA
Also read: Typhoon Yagi kills 14 in Vietnam as warning issued to some Thai provinces
Super Typhoon Yagi slams southern China, shutting schools and cancelling flights
