Hanoi [Vietnam], August 26: Typhoon Kajiki made landfall in Vietnam on Monday, battering coastal areas of the South-East Asian country with strong winds and heavy rain in the most violent storm of the year so far.
Kajiki swept from the South China Sea into the Nghe An und Ha Tinh provinces in the afternoon with wind speeds of 133 kilometres per hour, officials told the VnExpress newspaper. Around 300,000 coastal residents had been urged to move to safer areas.
Kajiki had maintained its strength for almost 20 hours, meteorologists told the newspaper. Central coastal provinces in particular, such as Thanh Hoa and Da Nang, took emergency measures and cancelled all shipping traffic in advance. Several airports in the region were also closed and dozens of flights were cancelled.
Over 16,500 soldiers and more than 100,000 aid workers were on standby for rescue operations. The authorities compared the force of Kajiki with the devastating Typhoon Yagi, which claimed around 300 lives in Vietnam last year and caused severe damage.
The Chinese island of Hainan had already felt the effects of the latest typhoon. According to official figures, more than 100,000 people were affected, but no fatalities were initially reported.
However, the heavy rainfall and gusts of wind caused trees to topple, and many buildings were damaged.
Freight traffic crossing the strait between the port city of Haikou in northern Hainan and the Chinese mainland was also affected. According to state television, 5,000 lorries were queued up waiting. The authorities moved more than 20,000 people to safety a day earlier in areas at particular risk.
Meanwhile, Thailand is also bracing for the storm, with the weather service warning of heavy rainfall in 35 provinces in the north, north-east, east and south of the country.
Source: Qatar Tribune