Super typhoon Yagi kills at least 8 in northern Vietnam

Super typhoon Yagi has claimed at least eight lives and left nearly 200 others injured after making landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday.

Of the dead, three were in Quang Ninh province, home to UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay, one in its neighboring Hai Phong city, and one in Hai Duong province, according to a report released at a government meeting on Sunday on fixing the consequences of the disaster.

The typhoon also caused injuries to 186 people in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, and Hanoi. Up to 3,279 houses were also damaged by powerful gales.

The storm wreaked havoc across the northern coast, sweeping away six vessels in Quang Ninh and one in Hai Phong. Extensive power outages were reported in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh and Hai Duong provinces.

The National Committee for Natural Disaster Response, Search and Rescue noted that an electric pole and 20 trees fell in Hai Phong, while dozens of houses in Quang Ninh had their roofs blown off.

In the capital city of Hanoi, three people were fatally struck by fallen trees while on road, while seven others injured, according to the local government.

As of 11 p.m. on Saturday, Hanoi counted more than 2,200 trees uprooted and having branches broken, tens of motorbikes and cars damaged, nearly 300 walls collapsed and many streets submerged.

Super typhoon Yagi made landfall in Quang Ninh at around 1 p.m. on Saturday, packing maximum wind speeds of 166 kph. Rainfall levels in northeastern Vietnam reached up to 215 mm in certain areas. This was the most powerful storm in Asia this year and in northern Vietnam in decades.

After sweeping Hanoi, the typhoon continued to cause damage in northern provinces like Bac Ninh, Hoa Binh, Yen Bai, Son La, and Lang Son before weakening into a tropical depression.