The death toll in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam climbed to 233 on Friday as rescue workers recovered more bodies from areas hit by landslides and flash floods, state media reported.
State-run broadcaster VTV said emergency crews have now recovered 48 bodies from the area of Lang Nu, a small village in northern Lao Cai province that was swept away in a deluge of water, mud and debris from mountains on Tuesday. Another 39 people are still missing.
Across Vietnam, 103 people are still listed as missing and more than 800 have been injured.
Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit the Southeast Asian country in decades. It made landfall Saturday with winds of up to 149 kph (92 mph). Although it had weakened by Sunday, downpours continued and rivers remained dangerously high.
Five days after the typhoon’s landfall, heavy rainfall persisted in Hanoi, causing floodwaters to rise and forcing thousands of residents in low-lying areas to evacuate their homes.
The flooding in the capital has been reported as the worst in two decades, triggering widespread evacuations. While floodwaters from the Red River have slightly receded, many areas remain submerged.
Floods and landslides in other provinces have compounded the disaster’s toll. On Saturday when Yagi made landfall, it killed nine people. But landslides, floods and related incidents have since killed over a hundred people.
Factories and warehouses in northern Vietnam’s industrial hubs were also damaged, disrupting operations. With many multinational companies relying on these facilities, the impact could ripple through global supply chains.
Yagi was the most powerful storm of the year, which reached the strength of a Category 5 hurricane before making landfall in China.