It is the worst storm to hit Vietnam in 30 years: after sweeping through Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and China, Typhoon Yagi has caused extensive damage to Vietnamese cities and towns. According to state media, the latest death toll is 179 and 145 missing nationwide, with the north hardest hit.
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Tropical Storm Yagi hit the Vietnam full force, with gusts exceeding 150 km/h and destructive flooding. In Hanoi, the rising Red River has led to the evacuation of hundreds of people. It is at its highest level since 2004, said Mai Van Khiem, director of the national weather forecasting center. Residents are moving with chest-deep water or tinkering with makeshift boats, saving their few remaining possessions.
Thousands of residents were evacuated from the capital. In the mountainous province of Lao Cai, a landslide swept away the entire village of Lang Nu, leaving at least 30 dead and 65 missing, according to Vietnamese state media. The media broadcast graphic footage of the mudslide, showing villagers tending to their dead, some wrapped in cloth, others lying in makeshift coffins, as police continued to search for victims in the mud.
Threat of landslides and flash floods
Although water has started to recede in some areas, 16 provinces and cities remain at risk of landslides and flash floods. In the north of the country, many factories and industrial parks that export their products worldwide are flooded, raising fears of disruption to supply chains.
Typhoons in the region are now forming closer to shore, intensifying more quickly and staying over land longer because of climate change, according to a study released in July.
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