Typhoon Kajiki hits central Vietnam, heavy rains-triggered floods cause 3 deaths

Parts of Vietnam received heavy rain and strong winds as Typhoon Kajiki made landfall along the central coast on Monday, prompting a warning of possible flash floods and landslides across multiple provinces, causing at least three deaths

According to Vietnam's national weather agency, the storm came ashore between Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, packing top winds of as much as 149 kilometres (93 miles) per hour. The remnants of the typhoon were moving over Laos on Tuesday.

Three people died, including a 90-year-old man whose house collapsed in the rain and a man who was electrocuted Friday while preparing his home for the storm, while 13 people were injured and thousands of houses were damaged in the country's central region, reported state television network VTV.

Heavy rain was also forecast in Thailand, and people were told to be vigilant about possible flooding until Wednesday. Six provinces, including Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Ninh, were issued a flooding alert.

According to the weather agency, some areas along the northern Vietnamese coast are set to receive as much as 500 millimetres (19.7 inches) of rain.

Train services hit, 60,000 people evacuated

The Tho Xuan and Dong Hoi airports in the Thanh Hoa and Quang Tri areas were shut temporarily, and at least three north-south train lines were suspended.

Two airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Tri provinces remained closed Tuesday after flights were halted Monday.

In Thanh Hoa, more than 60,000 people living in at-risk locations were evacuated, while tens of thousands were told to move to safety elsewhere in the predicted impact path.

The government said that over 120,000 soldiers and military personnel were deployed to help with evacuations and remained on standby for search and rescue operations.

Several electronics manufacturers have factories in the storm-affected areas, including Apple Inc suppliers Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Luxshare Precision Industry Co, and GoerTek Inc.

Flood alert

Vietnamese authorities have warned that the typhoon will threaten mountainous regions further inland with possible floods and landslides.

While the typhoon passed China’s Hainan, parts of the island still faced torrential rain, the China Meteorological Administration said.

The storm is expected to gradually weaken as it moves inland into the central Laos region, continuing to bring heavy rain that could also reach over 500 millimetres in some places.

Scientists published a 2024 study warning that seas warmed by climate change will cause Southeast Asia's cyclones to form closer to land, strengthen faster, last longer, and raise risks for cities.

(With Bloomberg and AP inputs)