Typhoon Yagi struck Quang Ninh on the afternoon of Sept. 7 with winds of up to 166 kph and heavy rains. By the time the storm subsided, Tuan Chau International Passenger Port in Ha Long City was a scene of desolation, with dozens of tourist boats submerged. Initial damage estimates exceed tens of billions of dong (VND10 billion = US$406,602).
Despite efforts by the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee to secure all 398 tourist boats and 98 island transport vessels by 11 a.m. on Sept. 6, many boats still sank while moored in sheltered locations.
As observed by VnExpress on Sept. 8, more than 20 boats had sunk at the passenger port, with waves causing severe damage to the sterns, flooding the cabins with seawater.
The hulls of the boats were warped by the powerful winds and waves. Many caretakers were forced to abandon their vessels and flee to shore as the storm intensified, with boats crashing into one another despite being anchored.
In the aftermath, boat owners and crew members rushed to the port to salvage documents and arrange for repairs. The estimated cost to recover each sunken boat is around VND100 million ($4,060), with repairs expected to take about a month before the vessels can return to service.
Tuan Chau International Passenger Port, typically bustling with tourists during the peak season, now stands eerily quiet, its once lively docks in ruins.
Cai Rong Port, in Cai Rong Town of Van Don District, served as a shelter for fishing boats and aquaculture rafts during the storm. However, the relentless sea waves have displaced vessels and tore off roofs.
During typhoon Yagi, the fishing boats and aquaculture rafts were shifted by the sea waves, causing roofs to tear off.
As of Sunday afternoon, Quang Ninh authorities reported five deaths, 157 injuries, over 2,000 houses with roofs blown off, 25 boats sunk at their moorings, and more than 1,000 aquaculture rafts either submerged or swept away.
Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit the East Sea in three decades which intensified into a super typhoon with winds reaching 201 kph on Thursday, claimed 24 lives in northern Vietnam and left three people missing as of Sunday night. Video by VnExpress/Giang Huy, Pham Du
