HANOI, 9th September, 2024 (WAM) -- A bridge collapsed and a bus was swept away by flooding on Monday as more rain fell following a typhoon in Vietnam that has taken the death-toll to at least 59 in the Southeast Asian country, the Associated Press reported, quoting the state media.
Nine people died when Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Vietnam on Saturday before weakening to a tropical depression, and at least 50 others have died in the consequent floods and landslides, state media VN Express reported. The water levels of several rivers in northern Vietnam were dangerously high.
A passenger bus carrying 20 people was swept into a flooded stream by a landslide in mountainous Cao Bang province Monday morning. Rescuers were deployed but landslides blocked their path.
In Phu Tho province, rescue operations were continuing after a steel bridge over the engorged Red River collapsed Monday morning. Reports said 10 cars and trucks along with two motorbikes fell into the river. Three people were pulled out of the river and taken to the hospital, but 13 others were missing.
Dozens of businesses in Haiphong province hadn't resumed production by Monday because of the extensive damage to their factories, reported state media Lao Dong newspaper.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Haiphong city on Sunday and approved a package of US$4.62 million to help the port city recover.
Typhoon Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in decades when it made landfall Saturday with winds up to 149 kph. It weakened Sunday, but the country’s meteorological agency warned the continuing downpours could cause floods and landslides.
Before hitting Vietnam, Yagi caused at least 20 deaths in the Philippines last week and four deaths in southern China.
Storms like Typhoon Yagi are “getting stronger due to climate change, primarily because warmer ocean waters provide more energy to fuel the storms, leading to increased wind speeds and heavier rainfall", said Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore.