16 Dead As Flash Flood Washes Away Vietnam Hamlet, Typhoon Yagi Toll Rises To 141

Yagi made landfall in Vietnam on Saturday. It has since weakened but continues to cause heavy rain, flooding and landslides. 

People carry their belongings on a cart through a flooded street.

Source : X/@NewsHubGlobe

Following a flash flood that washed away an entire hamlet in northern Vietnam, killing about 16 people, the death toll for typhoon Yagi has risen to 141. Dozens remain missing. Yagi, which has also caused much damage in the Philippines and China, made landfall in Vietnam on Saturday. It has since weakened but continues to cause heavy rain, flooding and landslides. 

According to the Associated Press (AP), water gushing down a mountain in the Lao Cai province on Tuesday buried the hamlet of Lang Nu, with 35 families, under mud and debris on Tuesday.  About a dozen people survived, rescuers said, adding that they have dug up 16 bodies and are continuing the search for about 40 others.

Yagi struck with winds of over 149 kmph, making it the most powerful typhoon to hit northern Vietnam in 30 years. According to BBC, thousands were stranded on rooftops in some northern provinces, while others posted pleas for help on social media on Tuesday.

Terrible floods hit Thái Nguyên, Vietnam 🇻🇳 due to extreme rainstorm!

Heavy rainfall causes widespread flooding, disrupting lives and communities.

Stay safe, Vietnam!

#TháiNguyên #Vietnam #Floods #Rainstorm pic.twitter.com/eLrPuqYxRX

— Facts Prime (@factsprime35) September 9, 2024

The storm has downed bridges, destroyed buildings, damaged factories and triggered a power outage for over 1.5 million people. Northern Vietnam is densely populated and is a major manufacturing hub for global tech firms.

A dashcam caught the collapse of the Phong Chau bridge over the engorged Red River in Phu Tho province on Monday, which led to several vehicles plunging into the river. Although it has now weakened into a tropical depression, authorities have warned Yagi will create more disruption as it moves westwards.

On Tuesday, the authorities stopped heavy vehicles crossing a major bridge over the Red River in central Hanoi. Operations on a train line across Long Bien bridge were also suspended after the water level rose.

Houses Submerged

In parts of Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai cities, one-storey houses were almost completely submerged in the early hours of Tuesday, with residents climbing over their roofs as they waited for help. In the capital city of Hanoi, communities along the swollen and fast-moving Red River were also partially underwater. This forced people to evacuate on boats. 

Phan Thi Tuyet, 50, who lives near the river, said she had never experienced such high water.

"I have lost everything, all gone," she told AFP.