Other Southeast Asian countries are also affected. In the diocese of Chang Rai, Thailand, waters have covered the cathedral up to the altar, the bishop said. Telecommunications and transport remain disrupted in large parts of the region.
Hanoi (/Agencies) – Typhoon Yagi has devastated some parts of Southeast Asia, especially northern Vietnam, where it has claimed 197 lives. According to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the typhoon damaged more than 140,000 homes in 26 provinces of the country. The local Ministry of Agriculture reported that 250,000 hectares of crops and a large number of livestock were lost.
Sections of the road were completely submerged, paralysing traffic in and out of the capital Hanoi. In Bao Yen district, Lao Cai province, a landslide swept through Nu village, burying 37 houses with 158 residents. Because of the disruption to transport, rescuers were only able to reach the site several hours after the disaster. In Cao Bang province, debris swept a bus, cars and motorbikes into a stream.
Local authorities said rivers in Hanoi hit their highest levels in 20 years yesterday and only began to recede today. Meanwhile, thousands of people have been evacuated and power supplies remain cut off in several parts of the country.
In Myanmar, the rains have hit the capital, Naypyidaw, hardest. The city is controlled by the coup-ridden Burmese army, which has set up camps to accommodate up to 70,000 people. Transport between two other junta-run cities, Rangoon and Mandalay, has also been disrupted by flooding.
The Mekong River Commission, the international body that oversees the river, issued an alert this morning for the city of Luang Prabang in Laos, which has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.
In Thailand, there are currently nine victims, six of whom were swept away by a landslide in the Chiang Mai district. Authorities have suspended all flights to Chiang Rai airport, located about 145 kilometers northeast of Chiang Mai. Bishop Joseph Vuthilert Haelom of the Chang Rai diocese said that the situation has worsened in recent days: “The water level has been rising continuously since Monday. The cathedral is flooded up to the altar. The two-story residence has become uninhabitable, even the second floor. Now we also have no electricity,” he told the Daily Telegraph. Licas NewsSome people climbed onto the roofs of their houses and were trapped. Some parishioners, led by Fr Bancha Apichartvorakul, are distributing food, water and basic necessities. “But there are still many people who are waiting for our help,” the priest said.
Further north, Mae Sai district on the border with Myanmar is suffering from its worst flooding in 80 years, local Interior Ministry official Suttipong Juljarern said in a statement. The Thai military has deployed boats and helicopters to help with rescue operations, while Buddhist temples and hotels have opened their doors to accommodate nearly 1,000 people forced to flee their homes.
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