Authorities Evacuate Residents and Close Airport... Tropical Depression Weakens in Northwest Vietnam
Super typhoon 'Yagi' struck Vietnam, causing over 200 casualties.
According to local media VN Express on the 8th, Yagi made landfall on the northeastern coast of Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, around 1 p.m. the previous day with maximum wind speeds of 166 km/h, resulting in 14 deaths and about 200 injuries so far. Quang Ninh Province is home to Ha Long Bay, a famous tourist destination designated as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.
A cruise lounge in Ha Long Bay damaged by Super Typhoon Yagi, which made landfall in Quang Ninh Province on the 8th. (Photo by Yonhap News)
Various damages, including landslides caused by heavy rain, also followed. On the morning of the same day, in the mountainous area of Hoa Binh Province in the north, a family of four died when their house was buried by a landslide. Several ships anchored at the port were swept into the sea, causing casualties. There were also cases of fatalities caused by roofs collapsing or trees falling due to strong winds and heavy rain.
In the capital Hanoi, thousands of trees were uprooted and utility poles fell. The city turned into chaos as roofs and signboards were blown away and many houses were damaged. As a result, public transportation in Hanoi was suspended the previous day, and large-scale power outages occurred in Quang Ninh Province, Thai Binh Province, and other areas.
The Vietnamese authorities evacuated about 50,000 residents from high-risk areas in preparation for floods and landslides and closed four airports including those in Hanoi and Haiphong. Nearly 500,000 soldiers were deployed for disaster prevention operations. Cruise and other ship operations were also canceled in the tourist area of Ha Long Bay.
The authorities reported that more than 3,200 houses were damaged, 120,000 hectares of rice paddies were flooded, and over 1,000 aquaculture farms were affected. A representative from the Vietnam Meteorological Agency stated, "Yagi was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Vietnam in the past 30 years."
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered all ministries and local governments to make every effort to protect lives and property.
After passing through Hanoi, Yagi weakened to a tropical depression in the northwestern region of Vietnam on the morning of the same day. However, authorities warned that floods and landslides could occur due to the heavy rains that had fallen so far.
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