VIETNAM; Typhoon Yagi Leads to 35 Deaths, Causes Severe Disruptions

Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Asia this year, has caused widespread devastation in northern Vietnam, leaving at least 35 people dead and 24 others missing. The storm’s impact has been severe, with landslides and floods reported as primary causes of the casualties, according to Vietnam’s disaster management agency.

The typhoon, which made landfall on Vietnam’s northeastern coast on Saturday, has since been downgraded to a tropical depression.

Despite its reduction in intensity, the damage has been extensive. The storm has disrupted power supplies, with millions of households and companies left without electricity. It has also caused flooding on highways, interrupted telecommunications, and led to the collapse of a medium-sized bridge and thousands of trees. The economic activity in several industrial hubs has come to a standstill.

In Haiphong, a coastal city with a population of two million, industrial parks and factories are grappling with significant challenges. Bruno Jaspaert, head of DEEP C industrial zones, reported that the industrial areas are struggling with power outages and damaged equipment. “Everyone is scrambling to make sites safe and stocks dry,” Jaspaert said, noting the severe impact on plants due to blown-away roofing.

The typhoon’s effects have been particularly harsh on international businesses. Reports indicate that a factory of South Korea’s LG Electronics in Haiphong collapsed, though the company has yet to comment.

Hong Sun, chairman of the South Korean business association in Vietnam, described the situation as involving “lots of damages” to Korean factories in the affected coastal regions.

Authorities also reported the collapse of a key bridge in the province of Phu Tho on Monday. The bridge, a crucial transport link, had been heavily used, but initial reports have not indicated any casualties.

The weather agency has issued warnings for continued floods and landslides, with rainfall in the northern region ranging from 208 millimeters to 433 millimeters (8.2 inches to 17.1 inches) in the past 24 hours. State-run power provider EVN has restored electricity to nearly 75% of the more than 5.7 million customers affected by power outages, though full restoration is still underway.

As Vietnam continues to assess the full extent of the damage and recovery efforts are underway, the scale of Typhoon Yagi’s impact underscores the severe challenges posed by extreme weather events in the region.