A major bridge in northern Vietnam collapsed following a strike from Super Typhoon Yagi, which has claimed over 60 lives since it made landfall on Saturday. Dashcam footage captured the moment the Phong Chau bridge in Phu Tho province gave way on Monday, causing several vehicles to plunge into the water below. Search operations are currently underway for 13 missing individuals.
Super Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Vietnam in three decades, has devastated the northern region, leaving 1.5 million people without power. Although it has since weakened into a tropical depression, authorities warn that it will continue to cause disruption as it moves westward.
The storm, which reached wind speeds of up to 203 km/h (126 mph), has injured more than 240 people and is the most powerful storm in Asia this year. The collapse of the Phong Chau bridge resulted in ten cars and two scooters falling into the Red River. Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc reported that a lorry falling into the water as the bridge's decking gave way was captured on camera. At least three people have been rescued from the river so far.
Nguyen Minh Hai, who was on his motorcycle when the bridge collapsed, recounted his fear and relief after being rescued. "I felt like I had just escaped death. I can't swim and thought I would die," he said from the hospital.
Although part of the 375-meter (1230-foot) bridge remains standing, the military has been tasked with constructing a temporary pontoon bridge. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that landslides and flash floods have claimed at least 44 lives, including a 68-year-old woman, a one-year-old boy, and a newborn baby.
The typhoon has caused extensive damage, including tearing roofs from buildings, uprooting trees, and severely impacting infrastructure and factories in the north. Photos from Reuters show the collapse of walls at an LG Electronics factory in Hai Phong city. In Yen Bai province, floodwaters reached a meter high on Monday, leading to the evacuation of 2,400 families. Nearly 50,000 people have been evacuated from coastal towns, and authorities have advised staying indoors. Schools in 12 northern provinces, including Hanoi, have been temporarily closed.
Nguyen Thi Thom, a restaurant owner in Ha Long Bay, described the extensive damage, saying, "There is nothing left. When I look around, people have also lost all they had, just like me. I can only try to recover from this."
Before impacting Vietnam, Typhoon Yagi had already caused 24 deaths in southern China and the Philippines. While the influence of climate change on individual storms is complex, it is noted that higher wind speeds and more intense rainfall are becoming more common as global temperatures rise.