Typhoon Yagi Kills 4, Injures 78 In Northern Vietnam

HANOI, Sept  7 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Typhoon Yagi made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday afternoon, killing four people and injuring 78 others, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The fatalities include three from the coastal province of Quang Ninh, and one from the northern province of Hai Duong.  Among the injured, 58 are from Quang Ninh and 20 from the port city of Hai Phong, Xinhua reported. 

   As of Saturday evening, six people and one ship in Quang Ninh were reported missing. Fourteen ships, including 13 unmanned fishing vessels and one unmanned tourist ship, were sunk by large waves and strong winds.

   During a government press briefing on Saturday afternoon, Pham Duc Luan, head of the ministry's Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Control Department, said Typhoon Yagi "is the strongest storm to hit the northern region in the past 30 years."

   So far, nearly 53,000 residents in vulnerable areas, particularly those living in fragile and makeshift homes near aquaculture zones, have been evacuated to safer locations, he said.

   Flash floods and landslides remained a significant risk in several northern localities, including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang and Ha Giang.

   Natural disasters, mainly storms, landslides and floods, had left 111 people dead and missing in the Southeast Asian country since early this year until Aug. 5, the highest number reported for the same period in five years, according to the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.  

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA