Rescuers move an injured person amidst flooding in Chiang Rai province, Thailand, September 11, 2024, in this still image taken from a video. Tubjaotak Task Force, Pha Muang Force/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
A landslide in the wake of the deadly Typhoon Yagi devastated a Vietnamese village, state media reported, as severe flooding in the aftermath of the area’s strongest storm in decades claimed victims across multiple countries.
The landslide engulfed the remote mountainous village of Lang Nu in Lao Cai province, killing at least 22 people and leaving another 73 people still missing, multiple media reports said.
Yagi struck at the weekend, bringing winds in excess of 149kph and a deluge of rain that has caused flooding not seen in decades. Officials reported more than 140 killed in Vietnam alone.
Laos, Thailand and Myanmar have all also been hit by floods in the aftermath of the storm, with fatalities reported in both Thailand and Laos.
Braving the floods: Residents being evacuated on a boat through floodwaters in Hanoi in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi hitting northern Vietnam. According to state media, the capital Hanoi is experiencing its worst floods since 2008. — Reuters/AFP
Nguyen Tran Van, 41, who has lived near the Red river in Hanoi for 15 years, said: “This was the worst flooding I have witnessed; I didn’t think the water would rise as quick as it did. I moved because if the water had risen just a bit higher, it would have been difficult for us to leave.”
Hanoi has seen its worst floods since 2008, according to state media, with police, soldiers and volunteers deployed to help of hundreds of residents along the banks of the swollen Red River to evacuate their homes in the early hours as water level levels rose rapidly.
A police official in Hanoi, refusing to be named, said officers were going on foot or by boat to check every house along the river.
“All residents must leave,” he said.
“We are bringing them to public buildings turned into temporary shelters or they can stay with relatives. There has been so much rain and the water is rising quickly.”
On Tuesday, images showed people stranded on rooftops and victims posted desperate pleas for help on social media, while 59,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes in Yen Bai province.
A total of 16 provinces and cities remained at risk of landslides and flash floods yesterday, although multiple state media reports said floodwaters had started to recede in mountainous areas.
The Vietnamese government said the toll from Yagi – the strongest storm to hit northern Vietnam in 30 years – had risen to 143 across the country, with 58 still missing. It was not clear whether the figure included victims of Tuesday’s landslide, where access remained remained difficult and internet cut off, reports said.
“Authorities are mobilising forces to approach the landslide area to continue the search for survivors,” district party chief Hoang Quoc Bao said, according to Tuoi Tre. — AFP
