China Landfall in Asia: "Bebinca" moves in after typhoon "Yagi"

SDA

15.9.2024 - 13:19

The north of Southeast Asia is still struggling with the consequences of typhoon "Yagi". Photo: Hau Dinh/AP/dpa
The north of Southeast Asia is still struggling with the consequences of typhoon "Yagi". Photo: Hau Dinh/AP/dpa
Keystone

In China and Southeast Asia, residents are struggling with the devastation and flooding caused by tropical cyclones. Typhoon "Yagi", which was accompanied by heavy rain and storms, not only caused severe damage to infrastructure, but also flooded entire regions. Meanwhile, the next storm, "Bebinca", claimed its first lives in the Philippines - it is expected to make landfall in south-eastern China on Monday night.

In connection with Typhoon Yagi, the official death toll in Vietnam rose to 281 and more than 1,900 people were injured, according to the country's disaster control authority. According to the authorities, the most violent tropical storm in decades hit the capital Hanoi a week ago. In the province of Lao Cai, an entire village was simply washed away.

According to the disaster control authorities, around 235,000 households were affected by the storm damage. In addition, more than 2.6 million farm animals lost their lives and hundreds of thousands of rice fields were damaged. According to a report by the UN Children's Fund UNICEF, millions of children in northern Vietnam lacked access to clean drinking water and sanitary facilities following the storm.

Typhoon puts the north of Southeast Asia under water

In Vietnam's neighboring country of Laos, local media also reported days of heavy rain in the cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang. High water levels in the Mekong also led to devastating floods in the province of Luang Namtha in the north of the landlocked country, as reported by the "Laotian Times".

According to the Bangkok Post, twelve provinces in neighboring Thailand also suffered from flooding, including the popular tourist regions of Chiang Rai in the far north of the country and Ayutthaya north of Bangkok. Over the past month, 43 people have died in floods, the newspaper reported, citing the country's disaster control authority.

Myanmar was also hit hard by "Yagi". State media reported at least 74 deaths, while local media estimated well over 200 deaths. The floods had cut off many areas from the outside world, triggered landslides and torn down houses. Many people are missing. However, the political situation in the country, which is ruled by a brutal military junta, makes it difficult to obtain reliable information. Eyewitnesses in Kayah state reported that the junta had refrained from rescue measures for residents affected by the floods, but had flown air strikes because resistance fighters were operating in the region.

China and the Philippines brace for the next storm

The super typhoon "Yagi" had previously passed over the Philippines and southern China, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Just under a week later, the region is facing cyclone "Bebinca".

In the Philippines, six people have already lost their lives as a result of the typhoon, according to the Philippine Civil Protection Agency. It was not clear how the people died. Heavy rain and storms had caused landslides, among other things.

"Bebinca" is now heading towards eastern China and is expected to make landfall on Monday night in the area around the metropolis of Shanghai and the major cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo, which together are home to more than 46 million people. A total of more than 600 flights were canceled at Shanghai's two international airports, as reported by Chinese state television. The tropical storm reached China during the Lunar New Year holidays, when millions of people are traveling in the People's Republic.

Warnings of high waves were also issued in coastal provinces such as Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Due to the threat of heavy rain, the authorities also warned of overflowing waters in the inland province of Anhui.

SDA