Typhoon Yagi collapses busy bridge in Vietnam

HANOI: A busy bridge in northern Vietnam has collapsed in the wake of super typhoon Yagi, plunging 10 cars and two scooters into the Red River, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc said on Monday.

At least three people have so far been rescued and 13 are missing after the Phong Chau bridge in Phu Tho province collapsed, Mr Ho added. It is unclear if there have been any deaths.

Part of the 375-metre (1230 feet) bridge is still standing, and the military has been instructed to build a pontoon bridge as soon as possible.

Yagi, Asia’s most powerful storm this year, has killed at least 59 people since it made landfall in Vietnam on Saturday, bringing strong winds of up to 203 km/h (126 mph).

In the days since, the storm has wreaked havoc in northern Vietnam. At least 44 victims were killed by landslides and flash floods, the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Monday – a 68-year-old woman, a one-year-old boy and a newborn baby among them.

Yagi, Asia’s most powerful storm this year, has killed at least 59 people since it made landfall in Vietnam on Saturday

More than 240 people have been injured, while some 1.5 million are still without power. The typhoon also tore roofs from buildings and uprooted trees.

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Although it has weakened into a tropical depression, authorities have warned of more flooding and landslides as the storm moves westwards.

In the Yen Bai province, flood waters reached a metre (three feet) high on Monday, with 2,400 families moved to higher ground as the water levels rose.

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