Thousands evacuated from Hanoi, death toll from Typhoon Yagi rises to 179 | Weather News

The Vietnamese government estimates that 179 people have been killed and 145 are missing, while the water level of the Red River in the capital has reached a 20-year high.

Thousands of people were evacuated from Vietnam's capital Hanoi as water levels in the Red River rose to a 20-year high, flooding streets, days after Typhoon Yagi devastated the north of the country, killing at least 179 people.

Yagi, Asia's strongest typhoon this year, brought storms and heavy rains as it moved westward after making landfall on Saturday. This week, a bridge collapsed as it swept through provinces along the Red River, the region's largest river.

Across the country, 179 people have died as a result of the typhoon and the resulting landslides and floods, while 145 are missing, the government estimated on Wednesday.

Mai Van Khiem, head of the national meteorological service, told state media that the water level of the Red River in Hanoi had reached its highest since 2004 and warned that severe, widespread flooding would occur in the provinces surrounding the capital in the coming days.

Thousands of people had to be evacuated from the city on Wednesday, with police, soldiers and volunteers helping residents leave their riverside homes as water levels rose rapidly.

A police official in Hanoi said officers were travelling on foot or by boat to check every house along the river.

“All residents have to leave,” he said, who declined to give his name. “We are taking them to public buildings that have been converted into emergency shelters, or they can stay with relatives. It has rained so much and the water is rising quickly.”

Yagi has also forced the closure of numerous factories and flooded warehouses in industrial centers east of Hanoi, some of which are not expected to return to full operations for weeks, executives said.

The disruptions threaten global supply chains as Vietnam is home to offices of major multinational companies.

Vietnam's state-owned energy company EVN said on Wednesday that it had cut off power supplies in some flooded parts of the capital for safety reasons.

Some schools in Hanoi have ordered their students to stay home for the rest of the week while thousands of residents of low-lying areas have been evacuated, the government and state media reported.

Closer to the city center, the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation charity evacuated its offices on Tuesday after authorities warned of flood risks.

“People were moving like crazy, moving their motorcycles and moving objects,” said spokeswoman Carlota Torres Lliro, expressing concern for dozens of children and families living in makeshift shelters along the river.