Typhoon Yagi Causes Red River To Overflow And Flood Hanoi, 155 People Died

A fallen tree due to Typhoon Yagi in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Wikimedia Commons/T1980)

Thousands of people living near the Red River, in the capital Vietnam Hanoi were evacuated, following the overflowing of the river after recording the highest level in 20 years, causing flooding for several days, after Typhoon Yagi swept through the northern region of the country, causing about 150 people to die.

Typhoon Yagi, the strongest typhoon in Asia this year, brought strong winds and heavy rains as it moved west after hitting land on Saturday, knocked down a bridge this week as it hit the provinces along the Red River, which is the largest river in the region.

"My house is now part of the river," said Nguyen Van Hung, 56, who lives in an environment on the banks of the Red River.

National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecast Mai Van Khiem said in a statement the Red River was at its highest point in two decades, with more rain expected to fall over the next two days.

The Vietnamese government estimates that the typhoons, landslides and floods in the country are estimated to have killed at least 155 people, while the other 141 are still missing.

Meanwhile, state-owned electric company EVN said on Wednesday it had cut off electricity from parts of the flooded capital due to safety concerns.

They also said they had stopped draining water from the Hoa Binh hydropower dam, which is the second largest dam in northern Vietnam, to the tributary of the Red River, Sungai Da, to reduce the flow of water.

Several schools in Hanoi have asked students to stay at home for the remainder of this week, while thousands of residents in lowland areas have been evacuated, the government and state media said.

Typhoon Yagi also hit industry players, flooding warehouses in coastal export-oriented industrial centers to the east of Hanoi, forcing closures, leaving a number of factories expected to resume full operations after weeks, executives said.

The disruption threatens global supply chains as Vietnam hosts major multinational companies that mostly send goods to the United States, Europe and other developed countries.