Super Typhoon Yagi leaves at least 4 dead in Vietnam after claiming 24 lives in China, Philippines
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HAI PHONG – Super Typhoon Yagi uprooted thousands of trees, and swept ships and boats out to sea, killing at least four people, as it made landfall in northern Vietnam on Sept 7, after leaving at least 24 dead through southern China and the Philippines.
The typhoon hit Hai Phong city and Quang Ninh province, packing winds exceeding 149kmh, Vietnam’s National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.
The death toll in Vietnam from storm-related damage rose to four on Sept 7, as roofing torn away by Yagi flew through the air, killing three residents of Quang Ninh, the state media said.
On Sept 6, a 53-year-old motorcyclist was killed after a tree fell on him in the northern Hai Duong province, according to the state media.
Hai Phong, an industrial hub with a population of two million people that hosts factories from foreign multinationals and local carmaker VinFast, was among the hardest hit by winds with speeds of up to 90kmh. As the typhoon approached, the city experienced power outages on Sept 7, the authorities said. The strong winds smashed windows in buildings, and waves were as high as 3m when they hit the coast, according to a Reuters witness. Trees fell and metal roofing sheets flew away from buildings and parking lots, pictures and footage on local media showed.
“It has been years since I witnessed a typhoon this big,” said Ms Tran Thi Hoa, a 48-year-old woman from Hai Phong.
“It was scary. I stayed indoors, after locking all my windows. However, the sound of the wind and the rain was unbelievable,” she told AFP.
Vietnam evacuated nearly 50,000 people from coastal towns and deployed 450,000 military personnel, the government said. Many were being sheltered in schools, kindergartens and other public buildings.
It also suspended operations for several hours at four airports on Sept 7, including Hanoi’s Noi Bai, the busiest in the north, cancelling more than 300 flights.
High schools were also closed in 12 northern provinces, including in Hanoi, which has a population of 8.5 million.
The authorities in the capital suspended public transport services involving buses and its two elevated metro lines on the afternoon of Sept 7, the state media reported. The meteorological agency has warned of risks of heavy flooding in the city centre.
Cars are covered in debris at a parking lot after Super Typhoon Yagi hit Hai Phong on Sept 7, 2024.
PHOTO: AFP
Before hitting Vietnam, Yagi tore through southern China and the Philippines
China’s state broadcaster CCTV said Yagi brought winds of more than 230kmh, uprooting trees and prompting the evacuation of around 460,000 people.
At least four people were killed and 95 injured in southern China after the storm hit Hainan and Guangdong provinces on Sept 6.
The storm killed at least 20 people and left 26 missing after sweeping over the Philippines
Yagi caused flooding and landslides on the main island of Luzon before transforming into a super typhoon in recent days.
Southern China is frequently hit by typhoons in the summer and autumn, which form in the warm oceans east of the Philippines and Thailand.
Typhoons in the region are now forming closer to the coast, intensifying more rapidly, and staying over land for longer due to climate change, according to a study published in July. AFP, REUTERS
