Typhoon 'Yagi' Causes Over 300 Deaths in Southeast Asia... World Heritage Sites Also Damaged

233 Deaths in Vietnam, 140,000 Houses Damaged
Damage Also Reported in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Others

More than 300 people have died as super typhoon 'Yagi' struck Southeast Asia, causing continuous damage.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to AFP and other sources on the 13th, the country most affected by Yagi is Vietnam, where the death toll has been confirmed at 233. There are 103 people missing and 800 injured, so the number of casualties is expected to rise. Property damage is also significant. The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that over 250,000 hectares of farmland and livestock were damaged by flooding. UNICEF estimated that more than 140,000 houses across 26 provinces in Vietnam were damaged by Yagi.

In Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, rivers overflowed and landslides occurred due to Yagi. The Myanmar military regime announced that at least 37 people died from flooding and more than 50,000 households are currently evacuating. It was reported that 19 people died in the capital Naypyidaw and 18 in the second-largest city Mandalay. Due to ongoing conflicts, rescue and search operations have not been properly conducted, so the actual scale of damage is presumed to be greater. Myanmar’s state-run media Global New Light of Myanmar reported that some sections of the railway connecting the largest city Yangon and Mandalay were flooded, causing train services to be suspended and communications cut off in several areas. Temples in Bagan, a Buddhist heritage site designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, were also reported to have been damaged.

In Thailand, nine people died from floods and landslides in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Authorities stated that flooding in the Mae Sai area, which borders Myanmar, is the worst in 80 years.

Concerns about flood damage are also growing in Laos. Laotian authorities issued a warning, anticipating flooding within days in Luang Prabang, a city designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Vietnam on the 7th after passing through the Philippines and China. In the Philippines, 20 people died and 26 went missing. Although Yagi weakened into a tropical depression after hitting northern Vietnam, it continues to cause damage by bringing heavy rain to surrounding areas.