Vietnam storm death toll rises to 197: Govt

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The government said on Thursday that the death toll from Typhoon Yagi, which lashed northern Vietnam and brought heavy flooding and landslides, had risen to 197.

Some 128 people are still missing and more than 250,000 hectares of crops have been destroyed, disaster response officials at the agriculture ministry said in an official report.

Meteorologists say Yagi is the most powerful typhoon to hit northern Vietnam in 30 years.

The storm, which made landfall on Saturday with winds exceeding 149 kilometers (92 miles) per hour, tore down bridges, ripped roofs off buildings and damaged factories.

The north of the country has since been struggling with severe flooding, which has left many communities partially underwater.

Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, while others are struggling with power cuts.

In a hard-hit district on the outskirts of Hanoi, more than 15,000 people were affected by flooding.

Farmers have also been hit hard. About 1.5 million chickens and ducks have been killed, along with 2,500 pigs, buffaloes and cows, officials said.

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