Four members of the same family lost their lives in a landslide triggered by Super Typhoon Yagi, which tore through Vietnam. The tragedy occurred in the mountainous Hoa Binh province in northern Vietnam around midnight local time (Saturday, 18:00 BST), according to state media.
A 51-year-old man managed to escape, but his wife, daughter, and two grandchildren were buried when the hillside collapsed onto their home. Their bodies were later recovered, AFP news agency reported.
Yagi, Asia’s most powerful typhoon of the year, has claimed at least 14 lives and left 176 others injured, as per Vietnamese state media. Although the storm has since been downgraded to a tropical depression, authorities continue to warn of the ongoing risks of flooding and landslides as the storm moves westward.
When Yagi made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday, it hit Hai Phong and Quang Ninh provinces with winds reaching up to 203 km/h (126 mph), according to the Indo-Pacific Tropical Cyclone Warning Center. The storm lifted roofs off buildings, uprooted trees, and caused power outages in Hanoi, the capital.
State media reported that three people died in Quang Ninh province on Saturday, while another person lost their life in Hai Duong, near Hanoi. Several fishermen are still missing at sea.
In the port city of Hai Phong, parts of the area were submerged under half a meter (1.6 feet) of floodwater on Sunday, with power lines and electric poles damaged, AFP reported. Metal roof sheets and commercial signboards were seen flying through the city of two million, which bore the brunt of the storm.
Power outages affected sections of Hai Phong, home to numerous multinational factories, on Saturday. Additionally, four of northern Vietnam’s airports suspended operations for much of the day.
At the Hai Au boat lock on Tuan Chau Island, north of Hai Phong, at least 23 boats were severely damaged or sunk, according to local residents. A 51-year-old sailor, Pham Van Thanh, told AFP he had never encountered such a powerful and violent typhoon, noting that his crew had stayed aboard his tourist boat since Friday to prevent it from sinking.
“The wind was pushing from behind us with such force that no boat could withstand it,” Pham Van Thanh told AFP. “Then the first one sank, and then another, one after the other.”
Images from the scene in Hanoi showed metal roofs on the ground and fallen trees scattered across the streets. Nearly 50,000 people have been evacuated from coastal towns in Vietnam, with authorities urging residents to stay indoors. Schools have been closed in 12 northern provinces, including Hanoi.
State media published photos of motorcyclists in the capital seeking shelter from the heavy rain under bridges. In Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, restaurant owner Duong The Hung described the damage to his business: “The signs have all fallen off. The ceiling has collapsed, and the metal roof needs repairs. The damage is severe.”
The storm is expected to move into northern Laos by Sunday evening.
Before reaching Vietnam on Saturday, Typhoon Yagi caused widespread devastation in the Chinese island of Hainan, a popular tourist destination known as “China’s Hawaii,” as well as in the Philippines. According to AFP, the typhoon claimed at least 24 lives and injured many others.
On Friday, China evacuated around 400,000 people from Hainan. Trains, boats, and flights were halted, and schools were closed. Local reports mentioned widespread power outages, affecting about 830,000 households. Valuable crops were also destroyed.
A super typhoon is equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. Scientists have warned that climate change is making typhoons and hurricanes stronger, more frequent, and longer-lasting. Warmer ocean waters provide more energy for storms, leading to higher wind speeds, while a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, resulting in heavier rainfall.
