A devastating landslide triggered by Typhoon Yagi has claimed the lives of a family of five in northern Vietnam, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The powerful storm, which made landfall late Sunday night, brought torrential rains and fierce winds, causing widespread flooding and infrastructure damage across multiple provinces.
The tragedy occurred in Yen Bai province, a mountainous region notorious for landslides during the rainy season. Local authorities reported that the family was trapped inside their home when the hillside gave way.
Rescue teams, facing treacherous conditions, recovered the bodies early Monday morning. The victims included two parents and their three children, aged between 4 and 12.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss. The continuous rains made rescue efforts extremely difficult,” said Nguyen Minh Phuong, a senior official from the Yen Bai disaster management department.
“Unfortunately, landslides are common in this area, but this storm has brought a level of devastation we haven’t seen in years.”
Typhoon Yagi, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm since making landfall, has wreaked havoc on northern and central Vietnam. Heavy rainfall, recorded at over 200 mm in some areas, caused rivers to overflow, submerging homes and cutting off access to many remote villages. Landslides, like the one in Yen Bai, have buried roads and hampered relief efforts.
In addition to the family killed in the landslide, several others have been reported missing across the affected regions. The government has ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents from high-risk areas, particularly in the northern provinces of Son La, Lao Cai, and Hoa Binh, as weather forecasts predict continued downpours.
“We are prioritizing the safety of our citizens,” said Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, who is overseeing the disaster response.
“We have mobilized military and local rescue forces to provide aid and ensure that those at risk are evacuated swiftly.”
The storm’s impact has not been limited to human lives. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed or severely damaged, while roads, bridges, and power lines have been disrupted, cutting off access to some areas for days.
In central Vietnam, Quang Ngai and Quang Nam provinces reported widespread flooding, with several major highways rendered impassable.
Farmers, particularly in the central coastal areas, have suffered significant losses as crops were submerged and livestock swept away by the floods.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development warned that the storm could cause substantial long-term damage to the agricultural sector, a vital part of the region’s economy.
“We are working to assess the full scope of the damages, but it’s clear that thousands of hectares of rice and other crops have been lost,” said a ministry spokesperson.
“This will have a major impact on local livelihoods.”
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for an immediate and coordinated disaster response, pledging government resources to aid in the recovery. Emergency relief supplies, including food, clean water, and temporary shelters, have been dispatched to the hardest-hit areas.
The Ministry of Transport is also working around the clock to clear blocked roads and restore access to isolated communities.
The government has urged residents in affected areas to remain vigilant and follow evacuation orders, as heavy rains are expected to continue for the next several days. Meteorologists warn that while Typhoon Yagi has weakened, the risk of further landslides and flooding remains high.
This latest storm comes at a time when Vietnam is grappling with increasingly severe weather patterns, driven in part by climate change.
Typhoons and tropical storms regularly strike the country between June and November, but experts note that recent years have seen storms grow more intense and unpredictable.
As Vietnam mourns the loss of life, the focus now shifts to rescue operations and long-term recovery efforts in the wake of Typhoon Yagi’s destructive path.
Be the first to comment