About 200 Injured Due to Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam
Massive Power Outages and Public Transport Suspensions Occur
Typhoon Yagi made landfall on the northeastern coast of Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, around 1 p.m. on the 7th with maximum wind speeds of 166 km/h, resulting in 14 deaths and about 200 injuries. Thousands of trees were uprooted and utility poles fell in the capital Hanoi and other areas. Roofs and signboards were blown away, and many houses were damaged, turning the city into chaos. Public transportation in Hanoi was also suspended, and large-scale power outages occurred in Quang Ninh Province, Thai Binh Province, and other areas.
On the 9th (local time), local Vietnamese media such as VN Express and Dantri reported that Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in the past 30 years. They captured scenes of cars driving closely alongside motorcycles to protect the riders from the strong winds. Watching the footage, car drivers formed long lines to block the wind, allowing motorcycles to cross bridges safely.
When passing over the Nattan Bridge, I posted a message on social media (SNS) expressing my gratitude to the car driver who shielded me from the wind. [Photo by X (formerly Twitter)]
This scene was witnessed around 1 p.m. on the 7th at Nhat Tan Bridge in Hanoi City, Vietnam, when Typhoon Yagi struck. Motorcycle rider Mr. A barely made it home after about an hour of driving and posted a message on social media expressing gratitude to the car driver who shielded him from the wind while crossing Nhat Tan Bridge. Mr. A, who commutes to and from work in the Tay Ho area of Hanoi, went to work as usual that morning, but as noon approached, the weather worsened due to the typhoon, and his company sent all employees home early. While riding his motorcycle, Mr. A found the wind so strong on Nhat Tan Bridge that he could barely control his vehicle, and other motorcycle riders were in similar situations.
This scene was witnessed around 1 p.m. on the 7th, when Typhoon Yagi struck Vietnam, at Nattan Bridge in Hanoi, Vietnam. Motorcycle rider Mr. A barely made it home after about an hour of driving, and when passing Nattan Bridge, he posted a message on social media expressing his gratitude to the car driver who shielded him from the wind. [Photo by X (formerly Twitter)]
At about halfway across the bridge, he could neither move forward nor turn back. He said, "This is the road I have commuted on daily for years, but I have never seen such strong winds." Nhat Tan Bridge is the world's largest cable-stayed bridge crossing the Red River in Hanoi, with a total length of 8.3 km. At that moment, a truck passing by Mr. A seemed to slow down and stay close to him as if to block the wind.
Following the truck, other motorcycles quickly moved close to Mr. A. Then, other vehicle drivers lined up like the truck to shield the motorcycles from the wind. This long line of cars and motorcycles slowly moved across the bridge. Mr. A said, "It was truly touching. I tried to remember the license plate numbers to write a thank-you note," adding, "Without the help of those vehicle drivers, I don't know how motorcycle riders could have crossed the bridge."
Various videos shared on social media and in the media show multiple motorcycles moving slowly along the edge of the bridge, with trucks and taxis lined up beside them, flashing hazard lights and driving slowly while staying close to the motorcycles. Motorcycle riders showed thumbs-up and hand-heart gestures toward the vehicles. Vietnamese netizens who watched the videos commented, "I was moved seeing the cars and buses helping motorcycles cross the bridge," praising the actions of the car drivers unanimously.
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