Vietnam has shut down airports, suspended schools, and evacuated tens of thousands of people as it braces for Typhoon Kajiki, the most powerful storm to threaten the country this year.
As of 0300 GMT Monday, Kajiki was located about 110 kilometers (68 miles) off the northern part of Vietnam’s central coast, packing gusts of up to 166 kilometers per hour (103 mph), according to the national weather agency. The storm is expected to make landfall on Monday afternoon, bringing torrential rain, flooding, and landslides.
“This is an extremely dangerous fast-moving storm,” the government warned in a late-night statement on Sunday.
Authorities said around 30,000 people had been evacuated by Monday morning, with more than half a million expected to be moved from coastal and flood-prone areas. The government has mobilized over 16,500 soldiers and 107,000 paramilitary personnel for evacuation, rescue, and relief operations. Fishing boats have been ordered to remain in port.
Two airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces were closed, with Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet cancelling dozens of flights. Schools in several coastal provinces have also been suspended.
Typhoon Kajiki brushed past China’s Hainan Island on Sunday, forcing businesses and public transport to shut down in the resort city of Sanya. By Monday morning, Hainan downgraded its typhoon warning but cautioned of continued heavy rain and local flooding.
Vietnam, with its long South China Sea coastline, is regularly hit by tropical storms that often trigger deadly flooding and mudslides. Kajiki is forecast to move inland across Laos and northern Thailand after landfall.
The storm comes less than a year after Typhoon Yagi struck Vietnam, killing about 300 people and causing $3.3 billion in damage.
Written By Rodney Mbua
