Hanoi flooded by swollen river as Typhoon Yagi leaves 179 dead

HANOI: Vietnam's capital of Hanoi evacuated thousands of people living near the swollen Red River as its waters rose to a 20-year high, flooding streets days after Typhoon Yagi battered the country's north, killing at least 179 people.

Floods and landslides have affected swathes of Thailand and Myanmar after Yagi brought days of intense rainfall.

"My home is now part of the river," said Nguyen Van Hung, 56, who lives in a neighbourhood on the banks of the Red River in Vietnam.

Across the country, 145 are missing due to the typhoon and subsequent landslides and floods, the government estimated.

Vietnam's state-run power utility EVN said on Wednesday it had cut off power from some flooded parts of the capital due to safety concerns.

Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said in a statement that the Red River was at its highest in two decades and that more rain was expected over the next two days.

Some schools in Hanoi have told students to stay home for the rest of the week, while thousands of residents of low-lying areas have been evacuated, the government and state media said.

"People were moving frantically, moving their motorbikes, relocating items," said spokesperson of Blue Dragon Children's Foundation Carlota Torres Lliro, expressing concern for dozens of children and families living in makeshift houses by the river.

Elsewhere, in provinces north of the capital, landslides triggered by heavy floods killed dozens.

"My house's first floor is completely under the water," said a resident of Thai Nguyen.

"Now we have no fresh water and electricity," he said.

Another resident said he had not experienced such flooding in more than 20 years in the area.

"My belongings and possibly those of many others are completely lost."

In Thailand, Yagi has killed at least two people while hundreds are stranded after heavy rains swept the country and swelled rivers, inundated settlements and triggered mudslides, authorities reported on Wednesday. 

The destruction in the wake of Typhoon Yagi has reached northern Laos, inundating villages and farmland, putting hydro-power dams under strain and claiming at least one life, officials, locals and state media said Wednesday.

The rugged, mountainous provinces of Luang Namtha and Phongsaly are the worst hit, with footage from state broadcaster Lao National Television showing residents sheltering on upper floors and wading chest-deep through murky brown waters.

It is difficult to get a clear picture of the situation in Laos, where the authoritarian communist government tightly controls what information it releases and state media outlets have largely emphasised official relief efforts.