Typhoon Yagi wreaked havoc in Vietnam, leaving 82 dead and thousands stranded, as torrential rains and severe winds exceeding 149 km/h battered the country.
The typhoon, which struck on Saturday, triggered unprecedented flooding, leaving residents in some areas pleading for help on social media.
In parts of Hanoi, near the swollen Red River, entire communities were submerged, forcing evacuations by boat. Phan Thi Tuyet, a 50-year-old resident, described the devastation: "I have lost everything... We could not bring any of the furniture with us. Everything is under water now."
The storm, which caused widespread destruction, downed bridges, tore off roofs, and disrupted power supplies. It also triggered landslides and left 64 people missing.
More than 25,000 trees in Hanoi were uprooted, blocking roads and causing traffic jams in the city. Authorities have issued flood and landslide alerts across 18 northern provinces, as some homes in Yen Bai and Thai Nguyen were almost completely submerged.
The storm caused significant damage to Vietnam’s northern region, a major hub for global tech firms, with factories and production lines facing disruptions. Rescue teams are working around the clock to reach those stranded, particularly the elderly and children, with pleas for aid circulating on social media.
In addition to the casualties, 752 people have been injured, and heavy vehicles have been barred from crossing a bridge over the Red River, which continues to rise. A bridge in Phu Tho province collapsed, leaving eight people missing.
Typhoon Yagi previously caused 24 deaths in southern China and the Philippines before hitting Vietnam. Scientists attribute the intensifying frequency and severity of such storms in the region to climate change, which is causing typhoons to form closer to land and linger longer over affected areas.