Typhoon Yagi toll rises to over 250 in Vietnam with dozens still missing

The death toll in Vietnam from typhoon Yagi and the landslides and flash floods it triggered has risen to 254, the state disaster management agency said, as flood waters receded and search efforts pressed on.

More than 820 people have been injured and 82 are still missing, the agency said on Friday.

Hundreds of thousands of children have lost their homes and are lacking access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare, the UN children's agency UNICEF said in a statement.

About 2 million children have been left without access to education, psychosocial support and school feeding programmes as schools have been damaged and hit by power and water shortages, it added.

Climate crisis

Experts say storms like Typhoon Yagi are getting stronger due to the climate crisis, as warmer ocean waters provide more energy to fuel them, leading to higher winds and heavier rainfall.

The effects of the typhoon, the strongest to hit Vietnam in decades, were also being felt across the region, with flooding and landslides in northern Thailand, Laos and northeastern Myanmar.

In Thailand, 10 deaths have been reported due to flooding or landslides, and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra flew to the north on Friday to visit the border town of Mae Sai.

Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation warned of a continuing risk of flash floods in multiple areas through next Wednesday, as new rain was expected to increase the Mekong River's levels further.

International aid has been flowing into Vietnam in the aftermath of Yagi, with Australia already delivering humanitarian supplies as part of $2 million in assistance.

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Source: TRT