Hanoi Flooded by Swollen River as Typhoon Yagi Leaves 179 Dead, Reports Reuters

By Khanh Vu and Francesco Guarascio

HANOI – Thousands of residents in Hanoi have been evacuated as the swollen Red River reaches its highest level in two decades, resulting in significant flooding just days after Typhoon Yagi struck the northern region of Vietnam, leading to at least 179 fatalities.

Typhoon Yagi was the most powerful storm to hit Asia this year, bringing strong winds and torrential rain as it advanced westward after making landfall on Saturday. The storm caused a bridge to collapse this week while devastating provinces along the Red River.

"My home is now part of the river," said Nguyen Van Hung, a 56-year-old resident living alongside the riverbanks.

The government has reported that the typhoon and subsequent landslides and flooding have resulted in at least 179 deaths, with another 145 individuals still unaccounted for.

Vietnam’s state-run utility, EVN, announced that power was disconnected in some flooded areas of the capital to ensure safety.

Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, indicated that the Red River has reached levels unseen in 20 years, with more rain anticipated in the coming days.

Schools in Hanoi are instructing students to stay home for the remainder of the week, and residents from low-lying areas are being evacuated as a precaution. The Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, a charity operating near the city center, also evacuated its office after flood warnings were issued.

"People were moving frantically, relocating their motorbikes and possessions," said spokesperson Carlota Torres Lliro, whose concern extends to families living in makeshift homes by the river.

In an effort to manage water levels, EVN ceased releasing water from the Hoa Binh hydropower dam, the second largest in northern Vietnam, into the Da River, a tributary of the Red River. Concerns have also been raised regarding water being released by Chinese hydropower plants into another tributary, the Lo River, with Chinese authorities stating that both nations are collaborating on flood management.

Impact on Factories

The devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi has severely impacted local industries, inundating warehouses and forcing the closure of many factories in coastal export-oriented industrial areas east of Hanoi. Some facilities may not resume full operations for weeks, which poses a risk to global supply chains, given Vietnam’s role as a key manufacturing hub for major multinationals.

In addition, numerous provinces north of Hanoi have suffered from deadly landslides triggered by the heavy rain.

"My house’s first floor is completely under the water," lamented Nguyen Duc Tam, a 40-year-old resident of Thai Nguyen, roughly 60 km from Hanoi. "We currently have no fresh water or electricity," he added.

Another resident, Hoang Hai Luan, aged 30, noted that such severe flooding was unprecedented in over 20 years in the region. "My belongings, and likely those of many others, are completely lost," he expressed.

Among the factories impacted is a large Samsung Electronics facility on the outskirts of the city, which is responsible for shipping roughly half of its smartphones globally from Vietnam. However, reports indicated that there was no flooding at this facility as of Wednesday.