Super Typhoon Yagi hits Vietnam, two reported dead in Hainan, China By Reuters
Beijing – The strongest typhoon in Asia this year, Super Typhoon Yagi, hit the northern coast of Vietnam on Saturday after tearing through the Chinese province of Hainan, leaving two people reported dead.
Lightning, rain and strong winds that hit Hainan also caused 92 injuries, Chinese state media said on Saturday, citing local authorities.
Yagi made landfall in Hainan on Friday, packing winds of 234 kph (145 mph) near its center, toppling trees and flooding roads. Power to more than 800,000 homes has been cut.
The island province of more than 10 million people remains paralyzed, with emergency workers only beginning to clear debris, cut trees and overturned vehicles.
Yagi formed over the sea east of the Philippine archipelago on September 1. It gained strength, became a tropical storm and hit Luzon, the most populous island in the Philippines, killing at least 16 people and injuring 13.
The storm grew dramatically late in the week, becoming the world's most powerful storm in 2024 after Category 5 Atlantic Hurricane Beryl, the worst in the Pacific region this year.
As of 0500 GMT on Saturday, Yagi was moving north of Vietnam over the Gulf of Tonkin.
The maximum wind speed that had decreased slightly earlier on Saturday picked up speed again, reaching a Category 4 speed of 216 kph (134 mph), according to China's meteorological authorities.
