Super Typhoon Yagi yesterday uprooted thousands of trees, swept ships and boats out to sea, and ripped roofs off houses in northern Vietnam, killing at least four people after leaving at least 23 dead through southern China and the Philippines.
The typhoon hit Hai Phong and Quang Ninh provinces, packing winds exceeding 149kph, the Vietnamese National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.
It described the typhoon as “one of the most powerful typhoons in the region over the past decade.”
Photo: AFP
The death toll from storm-related damage rose to four as roofing torn away by Yagi flew through the air, killing three residents of Quang Ninh, state media said.
A man in Hai Duong province was killed on Friday when a tree fell amid heavy winds as the storm approached landfall, while more than a dozen others, believed to be sailors on fishing boats, are missing.
In Hai Phong, streets were filled with fallen trees, metal roofing and broken signboards that had been ripped off properties.
“It has been years since I witnessed a typhoon this big,” said Tran Thi Hoa, a 48-year-old woman from Hai Phong.
“It was scary. I stayed indoors, after locking all my windows. However, the sound of the wind and the rain was unbelievable,” she said.
China Central Television said Yagi brought winds of more than 230kph, uprooting trees and prompting the evacuation of about 460,000 people.
At least three people were killed and 95 injured in southern China after the storm hit Hainan and Guangdong provinces on Friday, state-run Xinhua news agency said, citing local authorities.
Before hitting the mainland of Vietnam, the typhoon uprooted hundreds of trees on Co To island.
Several office buildings, schools and houses on the island, about 80km from mainland Quang Ninh, were unroofed by the powerful winds.
About 20,000 people had been evacuated and moved to higher ground in the north of Hai Phong, Thai Binh and Hanoi, local authorities said.
Many are being sheltered in schools, kindergartens and other public buildings.
Additional reporting by AP
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