HANOI, Vietnam — A flash flood swept away an entire hamlet in northern Vietnam, killing 22 people and leaving dozens missing as deaths from a typhoon and its aftermath climbed to 141 on Wednesday.
Vietnamese state broadcaster VTV said the torrent of water gushing down from a mountain in Lao Cai province Tuesday buried Lang Nu hamlet with 35 families in mud and debris.
Only about a dozen are known so far to have survived. Rescuers have recovered 22 bodies and are continuing the search for about 70 others.
The death toll from Typhoon Yagi and its aftermath has climbed to 141. Another 69 people are missing and hundreds were injured, VTV said.
Floods and landslides have caused most of the deaths, many of which have come in the northwestern province of Lao Cai, bordering China, where Lang Nu is located. Lao Cai province is also home to the popular trekking destination of Sapa.
Many roads in the province were blocked by landslides and unrelenting rainfall, said Sapa tour guide Van A Po. The weather has forced them to limit travel with all trekking suspended.
“It is very scary,” he said.
Tourism is a key engine for the local economy, and many in the industry found themselves stranded. Nguyen Van Luong, who works in a hotel, said he could not return home since the 9-mile road from Sapa to his village was too dangerous to drive.
“The road is badly damaged and landslides could happen anytime. My family told me to stay here until it’s safer to go home.”
On Monday, a bridge collapsed and a bus was swept away by flooding, killing dozens of people.
