Typhoon Yagi costs Viet Nam around US$1.6 billion

Initial report shows that the typhoon, the strongest storm hitting Viet Nam over the past seven decades, has left 350 people dead and missing, and other 2,000 people injured in northern Viet Nam.

Authorities instructed more than 50,000 fishing farming vessels to find shelter and evacuated around 53,000 people working on fish cages and 80,000 households with 130,000 in flooded areas to safe places.

Authorities also mobilized half a million people and 6,600 equipment in response to the typhoon; more than 10,000 turns of people and more than 2,100 turns of equipment to cope with floods, landslides and flash floods.

The storm blew up roofs of at least 230,000 houses, schools and public buildings, submerged nearly 70,000 houses under water, damaged 48,00 ha of vegetables and fruit trees, damaged and swept away more than 3,000 fish farming cages.

More than 21,000 castle and 2.6 million poultry have been perished.

The typhoon's preliliminary total damage is estimated at around VND40 trillion or around US$1.6 billion, said Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung.

The minister also said the country's GDP may shrink by 0.35 percent and 0.22 percent in the next two quarters and 0.15 percent this year.

The storm, which slammed on Northern province in the afternoon of September 7, triggered landslides, inundation, and transport disruption in almost all northern localities.

Given the devastating impact, top leaders fanned out to localities to inspect the extent of damages, visit families of the victims and encourage cleanup workers.

The Government has decided to allocate VND350 billion and 300 tons of rice in relief assistance to the affected localities.

The Central Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front launched a support campaign to raise fund of at least VND1 trillion from domestic and foreign donors for storm-hit residents.

For the time ahead, Prime Minister Pham called for focusing on search and rescue operations for missing victims, arranging temporary housing for homeless people, and providing water, food and water to those in need, and medical care for sick and injured persons.

The Government requested authorities to take every measure to provide relief assistance to residents in isolated areas, accelerate cleanup efforts, and ensure smooth provision of power and telecommunication services.

He urged authorities to immediately repair damaged schools and healthcare facilities to ensure people's access to education and healthcare services, and promptly calculate damages and provide assistance to those impacted by the storm.

For residential areas swept away by landslides, the Government chief ordered authorities to complete reconstruction of these areas no later than December 31, 2024./.