WATCH: Busy bridge in typhoon-hit Vietnam collapses, cars, bikes plunge into Red river

On Monday, September 9, the Phong Chau Bridge in Phu Tho province, northern Vietnam, collapsed as Typhoon Yagi wreaked havoc in the region. The 375-meter-long bridge gave way, causing at least 10 vehicles, including motorbikes and cars, to plunge into the Red River.

Authorities report that 13 people are missing, though Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc noted it is unclear if there have been any casualties. Rescue operations are underway, with part of the bridge still standing, and efforts are being made to build a pontoon bridge to restore access.

Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Vietnam in decades, made landfall on Saturday, leading to at least 64 deaths from severe flooding and landslides across northern provinces.

In Cao Bang province, a passenger bus with 20 people was swept away by a landslide. Rescue efforts have been complicated by blocked roads and ongoing heavy rains.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has announced emergency aid and instructed the military to focus on rescue and recovery. The storm has caused significant disruption in northern Vietnam’s industrial zones, with widespread power outages and damage to factories.
In Haiphong, extensive damage was reported, including the destruction of factory roofs and flooding at production plants, particularly affecting LG Electronics facilities, although no employee casualties have been reported.

The Vietnam Meteorological Agency has warned of continued flooding and landslides, with northern regions receiving between 208 and 433 mm of rainfall in the past 48 hours.

As per a report in Al Jazeera, in Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located about 70 km (43 miles) up the coast from the city, the disaster management authority reported that 30 vessels sank due to powerful winds and waves from the typhoon. The storm also caused damage to nearly 3,300 homes and affected over 120,000 hectares (296,500 acres) of crops in northern Vietnam.