The Vietnam Disaster Management Agency (VDMA) announced on Tuesday, September 10, that Typhoon Yagi and subsequent landslides have killed at least 59 people, with 40 others still missing in northern Vietnam.
The agency reported that most of the victims were killed in landslides and flash floods. Additionally, nearly 750 people have been injured.
Typhoon Yagi made landfall on Saturday on Vietnam’s northeastern coast, causing widespread destruction across industrial and residential areas. The storm brought heavy rains that triggered dangerous floods and landslides.
Authorities have warned that several rivers in northern Vietnam have risen to alarming levels, leaving settlements and residential areas inundated.
The provincial People’s Committee reported that a 30-year-old bridge over the Red River in Phu Tho collapsed on Monday, leaving eight people missing, according to an official statement.
At least 10 cars and trucks, along with two motorbikes, plunged into the river, according to the VDMA.
Pham Truong Son, a survivor of the bridge collapse, said he was riding his motorcycle across the bridge when he heard a loud sound. He realised he was falling into the river but managed to swim to safety by clinging to a drifting banana tree before being rescued.
In response, authorities have banned or restricted traffic on other bridges across the river, including Chuong Duong Bridge in Hanoi.
