Northern Vietnam faces widespread landslide threats as typhoon Yagi deaths rise

Yagi, the strongest storm to hit the East Sea in three decades, made landfall on Vietnam's northern coast Saturday afternoon. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported that typhoon has unleashed torrential rains across the region, with some areas recording over 300 mm of rainfall between 8 a.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday. Hoa Binh and Son La saw rainfall as high as 430-440 mm.

Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Quang Ninh on Saturday afternoon with winds reaching 166 kph.

As of Monday, the storm has claimed at least 65 lives and left 39 others missing across northern Vietnam, mostly due to flash floods and landslides after it passed, according to the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention under the agriculture ministry.

The purple color indicates areas at high risk of heavy landslides triggered by typhoon Yagi. Graphics by the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting

Forecasts indicate that the northwest region, including Sa Pa tourist city, will experience the heaviest rainfall, ranging from 100-200 mm and potentially exceeding 400 mm by Monday. The northeast, including Ha Long Bay, is expected to receive 20-50 mm, with some areas surpassing 100 mm. The mountainous northeast will see 60-120 mm of rain, with some places experiencing over 250 mm.

Saturated soil from heavy rains has heightened the risk of landslides. The meteorological agency has issued warnings for landslides in 17 out of 25 northern provinces.

Early Sunday, a landslide in Tan Minh Commune, Da Bac District of Hoa Binh, resulted in the deaths of four family members when debris collapsed onto their home. In Sa Pa, a landslide engulfed a residential area, burying 26 people and killing six of them.

Typhoon Yagi, which intensified into a super typhoon last Thursday with winds reaching 201 kph, has caused significant devastation to northern Vietnam. Over 8,010 houses were damaged, and 25 fishing boats sunk in Quang Ninh. More than 1,100 fish farming cages were either submerged or washed away.

An electricity pole was broken and falls down on a street of Cam Pha City in Quang Ninh Province, Sept. 8, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

The storm has also caused widespread disruption to power and telecommunications. Provinces including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Hai Duong, and Hanoi have experienced outages due to damage to 133 transmission lines. As of Sunday evening, many areas in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong remained without electricity.

In agriculture, nearly 110,000 hectares of rice fields have been flooded. The hardest-hit areas include Hai Phong (7,000 hectares), Thai Binh (29,000 hectares), Hung Yen (12,110 hectares), and Hai Duong (18,500 hectares). Additionally, 17,920 hectares of vegetables and 6,900 hectares of fruit trees have been damaged.