Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Hu Duc Phuc said on Monday that a busy bridge collapsed in northern Vietnam after super typhoon Yagi, causing 10 cars and two motorcycles to plunge into the Red River.
It is unclear whether any casualties were caused by the collapse of the Phong Chau bridge in Phu Tho province. Mr. He said at least three people had been rescued and 13 were missing.
Part of the 375-meter (1,230-foot) bridge still stands, and Mr. Ho said he had instructed the military to build a pontoon bridge as soon as possible.
Yagi, Asia’s strongest storm this year, has killed at least 59 people since making landfall in Vietnam on Saturday, bringing with it winds of up to 203 km/h (126 mph).
In the days that followed, the storm wreaked havoc across northern Vietnam.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Monday that at least 44 victims, including a 68-year-old woman, a one-year-old boy and a newborn baby, had been killed by landslides and flash floods.
More than 240 people have been injured and about 1.5 million people remain without power.
The typhoon also destroyed roofs of buildings and uprooted trees.
Although it has weakened to a tropical depression, authorities warned that more flooding and landslides were possible as the storm moved westward.
Flood waters reached one meter (three feet) high in Yen Bai province on Monday, with 2,400 families moving to higher ground as water levels rose, AFP reported.
The Yagi also sank and swept away dozens of fishing boats. After more than a dozen fishermen were reported missing on Sunday, search and rescue crews found 27 people adrift at sea.
Nearly 50,000 people have been evacuated from coastal towns in Vietnam, and authorities have issued warnings to stay indoors.
Schools in 12 northern provinces, including Hanoi, are temporarily closed.
Before attacking Vietnam, the Yagi killed 24 people in southern China and the Philippines.
Scientists say typhoons and hurricanes are becoming stronger and more frequent and staying on land for longer due to climate change. Warmer waters mean storms absorb more energy, resulting in higher wind speeds.
A warmer atmosphere also holds more moisture, which can lead to more intense rainfall.
