Typhoon Yagi, the third storm to hit Vietnam this year and the most powerful storm to have struck the East Vietnam Sea over the past three decades, has claimed the lives of 14 people and injured 167 others as of Sunday, according to the Department of Rescue and Relief under the Ministry of National Defense.

At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sunday morning to assess the post-storm situation, the department reported that Quang Ninh Province recorded four deaths; Hanoi, three; Hoa Binh Province, four; Hai Phong City, Hai Duong Province, and Military Region 3, one each.

As many as 38 vehicles were sunk or missing in Quang Ninh Province alone.

Typhoon Yagi also damaged or blew off the roofs of 744 houses in northern Vietnam, including 300 in Quang Ninh, 158 in Lang Son, 89 in Bac Giang, among others.

The disaster affected over 9,000 hectares of rice and other crops, caused more than 5,700 trees and 40 power poles to collapse, and damaged 27 transformer stations.

Up to 38,000 households, comprising approximately 141,800 people, were evacuated to safety, the Vietnam Government Portal, reported, citing the Department of Rescue and Relief

The northern region will continue experiencing heavy rains until Monday next week with average precipitation of 100-150 mm, even over 200 mm in some areas, according to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting.

Certain areas in Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Hoa Binh, and others are at high risk for flash floods and landslides.

Cities and provinces in the northern region, including Quang Binh, Hai Phong, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Yen Bai, Bac Kan, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, and Hanoi, are facing a heightened risk of flooding due to heavy downpours.

On Sunday morning, Hanoi raised the flood alert in the Bui River to level two as the water level was 6.51 meters, said Nguyen Xuan Dai, director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

With such a water level in the river, Hanoi’s outlying districts of Chuong My, My Duc, and Quoc Oai will likely be flooded.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said he and his deputies would visit typhoon-hit localities to direct recovery efforts.

He described Yagi as the most powerful typhoon to have entered the East Vietnam Sea in the past three decades.

Its consequences are serious despite proactive and drastic response, the government leader added.

He also conveyed the condolences and sympathy of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, along with other Party and state leaders, to the stricken families, units, and localities.

PM Chinh praised the national steering committee for natural disaster prevention and control, as well as the ministries, agencies, military, and police forces for their efforts in responding to the typhoon.

He also thanked the people for following directions and assisting others in mitigating the storm’s impact.

He emphasized the need for continued efforts to search for missing individuals, treat the injured, ensure the provision of food, clothing, and shelter to those in need, and quickly restore electricity, water, telecommunications, and other services to support management, production, business, and daily life.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!