Devastating Impact of Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam

Nearly 200 people have died and 128 are reported missing in Vietnam following Typhoon Yagi. The typhoon caused severe flash floods and landslides. Hanoi, the capital, experienced its worst flooding in two decades. Rescue operations are ongoing in severely affected provinces including Lao Cai and Phu Tho.

Nearly 200 people have died in Vietnam in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, with 128 still missing, as flash floods and landslides devastate the region, state media reported Thursday.

According to Vietnam's VNExpress newspaper, 199 deaths have been confirmed and more than 800 people reported injured. Despite a slight recession in flood waters from the Red River in the capital, several areas remain heavily inundated. In Hanoi's Tay Ho district, residents waded through knee-high, muddy waters, some using small boats for navigation, as displaced vehicles and trash floated by.

The flooding has wreaked havoc on businesses; shop owner Mai Anh found her bakery submerged. "I can't do business with the flood like this," she lamented. "The goods in my shop are all destroyed." The capital's flooding is reportedly the worst in two decades, prompting evacuations and cutting off power and drinking water. In northern Vietnam's Lao Cai province, rescue operations are ongoing after a flash flood swept away the hamlet of Lang Nu, leaving 42 confirmed dead and 53 missing. Climate change experts warn that storms like Typhoon Yagi are becoming stronger due to warming ocean waters, resulting in higher winds and heavier rainfall.

(With inputs from agencies.)