The death toll from Typhoon Yagi, Asia’s most powerful storm this year, has risen to 35, with 24 people still missing, according to preliminary estimates from Vietnam’s disaster management agency. The storm left a trail of destruction in northern Vietnam as it moved westward, prompting warnings of continued flood and landslide risks.
The typhoon, which made landfall on Vietnam’s northeastern coast on Saturday, caused severe flooding and landslides, leaving significant damage in its wake. Factories, industrial parks, and infrastructure have been heavily impacted, particularly in areas like Haiphong, a coastal city with large manufacturing operations.
The storm knocked out power to millions of households and businesses, disrupted telecommunications, and flooded major highways. It also caused the collapse of a medium-sized bridge in Phu Tho province and uprooted thousands of trees, halting economic activities in key industrial zones.
“We are doing our best to salvage equipment and protect stocks from the rain,” said Bruno Jaspaert, head of DEEP C industrial zones, which houses over 150 factories in Haiphong and the neighbouring Quang Ninh province. Damage to factories and infrastructure has been widespread, with one of LG Electronics’ plants in Haiphong collapsing, according to photos and a Reuters witness.
LG Electronics, a major producer of consumer electronics, has not yet commented on the situation. The South Korean business community in Vietnam is also reeling from the storm’s impact. “There is a lot of damage,” said Hong Sun, chairman of the South Korean business association in Vietnam.
In addition to the factory damage, prolonged power cuts are affecting northern provinces. The state-run power provider, EVN, reported that over 5.7 million customers lost electricity due to damage to dozens of power lines, although service has been restored to 75% of those affected.
The weather agency has warned of ongoing risks, noting that rainfall totals in some areas ranged from 208 to 433 millimetres (8.2 to 17.1 inches) in the past 24 hours, and cautioned that further floods and landslides could occur in the coming days.