Typhoon Yagi Leaves Devastation in Vietnam: 59 Dead, Bridge Collapse, Factories Damaged
A devastating aftermath of Typhoon Yagi has left Vietnam grappling with widespread destruction, with at least 59 reported deaths as flooding and landslides continue to wreak havoc. The typhoon, which made landfall on Saturday before weakening into a tropical depression, caused dangerous flooding across northern Vietnam, leading to infrastructure damage, business shutdowns, and tragic loss of life.
State media VN Express reported that nine people died when Yagi first hit, and at least 50 others have since died due to the consequent floods and landslides. The rising water levels of several rivers in northern Vietnam remain dangerously high, further exacerbating the situation.
On Monday, a passenger bus carrying 20 people was swept into a flooded stream by a landslide in the mountainous Cao Bang province. Rescuers were deployed but were delayed by blocked roads due to further landslides.
In Phu Tho province, a steel bridge over the swollen Red River collapsed, sending 10 cars, trucks, and two motorbikes into the river. Rescuers managed to pull three people from the water, but 13 remain missing. One survivor, Pham Truong Son, recounted the terrifying moment he fell into the river, saying, “I felt like I was drowned to the bottom of the river,” before clinging to a banana tree to stay afloat until rescued.
The destruction has also crippled Vietnam’s industrial heartlands. Businesses in Haiphong province, home to key export hubs like EV manufacturer VinFast and Apple suppliers Pegatron and USI, remained shuttered on Monday due to severe damage to factories. The roofs of several industrial units were torn off, and water damaged both goods and machinery. Some areas were still without power due to toppled electricity poles, and recovery efforts could take at least a month, according to state media.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Haiphong on Sunday, where he approved a recovery package of $4.62 million to help the port city and surrounding areas rebuild.
Typhoon Yagi, with winds up to 92 mph, was the strongest storm to hit Vietnam in decades. Though it weakened on Sunday, the country’s meteorological agency warned of continued downpours, which could result in further flooding and landslides. In Sa Pa, a popular trekking town, a landslide claimed the lives of six people, including an infant, and injured nine others. In total, state media reported that 21 people had died and nearly 300 were injured over the weekend.
Heavy rain is expected to persist in northwestern Vietnam, with some areas forecast to receive more than 15 inches. The capital, Hanoi, saw overcast skies and rain on Monday as workers cleared debris, including fallen trees and billboards.
Typhoon Yagi's impact wasn’t limited to Vietnam. The storm caused at least 20 deaths in the Philippines and four in southern China last week. In China's Hainan province, infrastructure losses were estimated at $102 million, with tens of thousands of homes damaged and roads blocked by fallen trees.
Experts have linked the increasing intensity of storms like Typhoon Yagi to climate change. Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, noted that warmer ocean waters are fueling more powerful storms with increased wind speeds and heavier rainfall. This growing trend is not isolated to Southeast Asia, as warming waters across the globe pose a threat to population centers worldwide, creating more dangerous and unpredictable weather phenomena.
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