Taiwanese businesses in northern Vietnam hit hard by Typhoon Yagi

Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 12 (CNA) More than 100 Taiwanese manufacturers in Hai Phong, Vietnam suffered damage to their factories during Typhoon Yagi, which swept through the northern part of the country last weekend, the head of the local Taiwanese business group said Thursday.

Almost all 150 members of the Hai Phong branch of the Council of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam reported the rooftops or gates of their factories were blown off during the typhoon which made landfall on Sept. 7, said Wang Kun-sheng (王坤生), head of the Hai Phong branch in the coastal city.

Fortunately, no injuries or deaths were reported by Taiwanese businesses, Wang added.

According to an Agence France-Presse report on Thursday, typhoon-linked fatalities in Vietnam rose to 199 and the country is still coping with the aftermath of floods and landslides.

In Hai Phong, power was cut for 48 hours as the city was at the center of the typhoon and the suburbs still have no power, water supply, phone, or internet links, Wang said.

Wang, whose garment factory is in Do Son, needed to drive one hour to Hai Phong just to make a phone call.

"It is the first time I feel I'm in a disaster zone," he said.

In Do Son, southeast of Hai Phong, where many Taiwanese companies set up their manufacturing plants in an industrial park, power has returned, but a shoe company executive surnamed Kao said production has not resumed because water leaks through the damaged roof whenever it rains.

Kao estimated his losses in terms of hardware at around US$300,000.

Wang's factory outside the industrial park is still waiting for the return of electricity, like most of the residential area in Do Son, where few shops were open, while multiple fallen trees, damaged traffic lights, and blown-off shop signs were seen along main roads on Thursday.

Wang said he suffered about US$200,000 in damages to his factory and equipment, and there is a shortage of workers and construction material because everyone is still trying to rebuild.

Taiwanese businesses have reported the damage they suffered and issues they face to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vietnam, said Wang, who indicated he will seek tax deduction over typhoon caused damage.

However, the businesses are not looking for subsidies from the Vietnamese government, since the local residents also suffered heavy losses and damage, Wang added.