Businesses affected amidst super typhoon Yagi havoc in northern Vietnam

Many businesses have been affected in the widespread damage including loss of lives inflicted by super typhoon Yagi in northern Vietnam.

According to the Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, the typhoon, subsequent floods and landslides left 155 people dead and 141 others missing.

The economic damage is yet to be counted.

Quang Ninh province

As of Tuesday afternoon in Quang Ninh province, one of the hardest-hit localities, 20,245 houses had lost their roofs; 21 waterway vehicles, 23 cruise ships and 41 fishing boats had either sunk or drifted away; and over 2,402 aquaculture farms were damaged.

Many companies have had facilities severely damaged in the province.

The Halong International Port operated by Vietnamese conglomerate Sun Group had to suspend operations as its electrical and water systems were severely hit.

At the company's Sunworld entertainment park, the most significant damage done was to the Sun Wheel, with three cabins blown away by the storm. Slides in the water park were also damaged.

Sun Group management said that recovery efforts would begin right after damage assessment, prioritizing the port, cable cars and the Premier Village resort.

At the Alacarte Halong Hotel project, upon receiving news of typhoon Yagi’s landfall in Quang Ninh province, the operator mobilized all available resources to minimize damage to the building and its apartments.

When the typhoon struck Ha Long town, more than 150 staff of project operator Alacarte Halong JSC were present at the building to implement anti-storm measures, guide guests to safety and protect equipment and other assets in the apartments.

Soon after the storm passed, the project investor – Taseco Land and the operator contacted construction contractors, equipment suppliers and building experts to assess the damage and find solutions.

A representative of the investor said it would take at least three months to repair the building and restore normal operations.

The typhoon caused power outages and loss of communication in the Vanh Danh mining area. Landslides blocked the road from Uong Bi town to the mine. The roofs of many workshops and offices at the construction sites of coal companies were damaged; and over 30 electric poles of open-pit coal miners were toppled.

Hai Phong city

Many factories in Hai Phong city’s large industrial zones suffered severe damage.

For instance, at LG Electronics Co., Ltd., part of the factory and fences collapsed. The company arranged staff to clean up this area. Numerous workshops and warehouses in the Do Son and Nam Dinh Vu industrial parks (IPs) were littered with fallen roofing sheets and trees.

According to the Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority, all businesses in the IPs saw trees felled by the typhoon, with some reporting that 90% of the trees had fallen. Some areas also experienced partial flooding during the storm.

Many businesses have reported damage to roofs, walls, fences, signs, camera systems and car parks. Some have said that their workshops were flooded.

However, no human losses have been reported.

The Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority reported that local businesses and industrial zones were urgently addressing the typhoon’s impacts. As of the Tuesday morning, approximately 95% of the businesses in the industrial zones had resumed operations.

In the city’s Vinh Bao district, over 10 companies have been severely affected by super typhoon Yagi, with four suffering tens of billions of VND (VND10 billion = $407,000) in losses.

The power and telecommunications sectors have also suffered significant damage in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh and Nam Dinh.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has directed state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and local authorities to focus on restoring power supply as soon as possible.

As of 4 p.m, Tuesday, EVN had restored all 500 kV transmission lines and substations, while the 220kV power grid was “basically” back to normal. Local electricity units had also restored 114 out of 173 110 kV lines and 1,296 out of 1,535 medium-voltage lines.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has also instructed telecom service providers to restore communication systems. By Tuesday, 3,812 mobile signal towers (about 60%) had been restored. However, 2,473 towers still had not resumed operations.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, while there were no casualties at airports, the typhoon damaged equipment and other assets at some locations.

At the Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh, security fences separating restricted areas and airport boundary fences collapsed; some exterior decorative glass panels at the passenger terminal fell and broke; and the exterior glass roof on the elevated walkway was damaged.

At Hai Phong’s Cat Bi International Airport, trees in the old terminal area were uprooted. Some ceiling panels in the cargo terminal and part of the international terminal were destroyed. The glass doors of the international arrival hall were shattered, and telecommunications services experienced continuous interruptions.

At Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, operations were temporarily suspended for incoming flights until 12 a.m on September 7.

Typhoon Yagi impacts led to the cancellation of at least 120 flights - 103 domestic and 17 international.