One of the most powerful typhoons to hit Vietnam in a decade ripped roofs off buildings, sank ships and caused flooding.
Super Typhoon Yagi ripped roofs off buildings, sank ships and triggered landslides in Vietnam, leaving nine people dead, before downgrading to a tropical depression as it continues to weaken.
Yagi, which devastated infrastructure and uprooted trees, made landfall in northern Vietnam with winds of more than 149 km/h (93 mph), before being downgraded to a tropical depression on Sunday. Meteorological authorities described Yagi as “one of the most powerful typhoons in the region” in the past decade.
A family of four was killed in a landslide in Vietnam's mountainous northern Hoa Binh province early Sunday, state media reported.
The landslide occurred around midnight, after several hours of heavy rain brought by Yagi, when a hillside gave way and collapsed on a house, VnExpress said, citing Vietnamese authorities.
The 51-year-old homeowner escaped, but his wife, daughter and two grandchildren were buried and their bodies were recovered shortly afterward.
Four people were also killed on Saturday when the roof blew off, disaster management authorities said.
A man was killed on Friday in Hai Duong province when strong winds toppled a tree.
Several areas in the port city of Hai Phong were under half a metre (1.6 feet) of floodwaters on Sunday, and there was no electricity, with power lines and poles damaged, according to the AFP news agency.
In Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site about 70 kilometres from the city, fishermen were in shock as they surveyed the damage on Sunday morning.
According to Reuters news agency, a dozen people were missing at sea near Ha Long and rescue operations were expected to begin on Sunday when conditions allowed. The information could not be immediately verified.
At least 23 boats were also severely damaged or sank at the Hai Au lock on Tuan Chau island, according to residents.
Roofs were blown off buildings and motorcycles were left overturned amid piles of debris and broken glass, AFP reported.
Before reaching Vietnam, the Yagi devastated southern China and the Philippines, killing at least 24 people and injuring dozens more.
There is growing evidence that warming oceans are fueling more powerful tropical storms than before, according to climate scientists.
