Typhoon Yagi aftermath: bridge collapses in Vietnam as death toll reaches 21

The busy steel bridge over the engorged Red River in Phu Tho province collapsed on Monday morning, local officials told state media. Several motorbikes and cars fell into the river, the initial reports said, adding that three people fished out of the river in ongoing rescue operations had been taken to the hospital. No casualties have yet been reported.

Typhoon Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in decades when it made landfall on Saturday with winds up to 149km/h (92mph). It weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday, but the country’s meteorological agency has still warned the continuing downpours could cause floods and landslides.

On Sunday, a landslide killed six people including a child and injured nine others in Sa Pa town, a popular trekking base known for its terraced rice fields and mountains. Overall, state media reported 21 deaths and at least 299 people injured from the weekend.

Skies were overcast in the capital, Hanoi, with occasional rain Monday morning as workers cleared the uprooted trees, fallen billboards and toppled electricity poles. Heavy rain continued in northwestern Vietnam and forecasters said it could exceed 40 cm (15 inches) in places.

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