Latest news After typhoon: number of dead and missing in Vietnam rises

In Vietnam, the number of dead and missing is rising after the devastating typhoon "Yagi". According to the latest disaster control report, 143 deaths had been reported by this morning (local time) and 58 people were still missing in the floods. The most violent tropical storm in decades had raged for 15 hours at the weekend, particularly in the north of the south-east Asian country.

The effects of the typhoon can now also be felt in Thailand: severe flooding has been reported, particularly in the popular tourist provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai on the border with Myanmar. At least four people have already died in the floods, according to the disaster control authorities.

The worst affected was the border town of Mae Sai, the northernmost point of Thailand directly on the border with the former Burma. Many people waited on the roofs of their houses for help, reported the newspaper "Khaosod".

Red River causes great concern

In Vietnam, most of the victims died in flash floods and landslides. More than 800 people were also injured. After a busy bridge north of the capital Hanoi collapsed on Monday, sweeping several cars, trucks and motorcycles into the Red River, eight people were still missing.

The river has now reached its highest water level in the last 16 years, reported the newspaper "VnExpress". Residents of neighboring residential areas in Hanoi have had to flee to safety from the masses of water since the night. According to the authorities, the river level was expected to rise further - and concerns are growing. In November 2008, large parts of Hanoi were flooded after heavy rainfall.

The National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting had previously classified "Yagi" as the strongest storm in 30 years. The typhoon had previously swept across the Philippines and China, causing death and destruction there too.

Heavy rain continues in many parts of the country

According to disaster control, the tropical storm damaged more than 100,000 houses, many of which are completely under water. Hundreds of thousands of trees were uprooted in several provinces. In addition, around 800,000 farm animals died, mainly poultry and livestock.

It continued to rain heavily in parts of the country on Wednesday. Meteorologists also predicted heavy rainfall for the coming days.

Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters. Increasing global warming increases the likelihood of strong storms.

SDA