Death toll from Vietnam storm rises to 87 with 70 people missing, state media say

HANOI: The death toll in Vietnam from Typhoon Yagi and subsequent heavy rain that triggered floods and landslides climbed to 87 on Tuesday, with 70 people missing and hundreds injured, state media said.

Typhoon Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in decades when it made landfall Saturday with winds of up to 149 kph (92 mph). It killed nine people and then weakened Sunday, but downpours continued.

Vietnamese state broadcaster VTV reported that 87 people are confirmed dead and 70 remain missing. Most of the deaths were caused by flooding and landslides, it said.

Water levels in several rivers, including the Red River that flows through the capital, Hanoi, were dangerously high. Authorities evacuated families living close to the river in Hanoi on Tuesday.

On Monday, a bridge collapsed and a bus was swept away, while factories in northern provinces like Haiphong were damaged.

One of the hardest-hit provinces is Cao Bang, where 19 people died and 36 others are missing because of landslides in the hilly area.

A landslide in Cao Bang tipped over a bus carrying about 20 people into a flooded stream on Monday. It was swept away and rescuers have only been able to save one person. Two bodies were recovered and the others remain missing, state media VN Express said.

Heavy rainfall and landslides also killed 19 people in northwestern Lao Cai province bordering China. Video obtained by The Associated Press showed soil sliding down a hill onto houses and a road while people fled for safety.

A steel bridge in northern Phu Tho province collapsed into the Red River. Reports said 10 cars and trucks and two motorbikes fell into the river. Three people were rescued while 13 remain missing, state media said Tuesday, adding that rescue operations were continuing.