Two people were reported killed and 26 others missing as Typhoon Molave hit central Vietnam Wednesday, knocking down trees and tearing roofs off homes in some of the worst destruction seen in years.
For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app
Authorities relocated around 375,000 people to safety, cancelled hundreds of flights and closed schools and beaches ahead of the typhoon, which made landfall south of Danang packing winds of up to 145 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour).
State media said at least two people were killed in Quang Ngai province while trying to protect their homes from the storm.
“The people of Vietnam are tough, yet this is among the worst destruction ever seen in many areas,” said Vietnam Red Cross Society president Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu.
“The relentless storms and flooding are taking a devastating human toll, further destroying livelihoods and isolating millions of people.”
Officials were also searching for 26 missing fishermen, with the storm -- Vietnam’s fourth this month -- bringing waves up to six meters high as power was cut off across the region.
Navy and surveillance vessels were deployed to look for the crew members after their two boats disappeared after they attempted to dock, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said.
A fishing ban has been in place since Tuesday, while all airports in the area were closed until further notice.
The typhoon comes on the back of weeks of severe flooding and landslides that have claimed 130 lives and damaged or destroyed more than 310,000 homes, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Close to 1.2 million people were in “severe danger” and in need of relief, the IFRC warned.
“These relentless storms are yet another example of the devastating impact of climate change,” Red Cross spokesman Christopher Rassi said.
Vietnam is prone to natural disasters in the rainy season between June and November, with central coastal provinces commonly impacted, but the storms have notably worsened in recent years.
-
Philippines typhoon displaces at least 25,000 villagers on South China Sea coast
A fast-moving typhoon forced thousands of villagers to flee to safety in provinces south of the Philippine capital Monday, flooding rural villages and ... World News -
Typhoon Haishen hammers southern Japan with strong winds and power outages
Typhoon Haishen battered Japan’s southern mainland with powerful winds and drenching rain, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes and prompting ... World News -
Death toll climbs to 10 as heavy rains hit typhoon-ravaged eastern Japan
The death toll from torrential rains that caused flooding and mudslides in eastern Japan reached 10 on Saturday, with three others missing, public ... World News -
As typhoon Vongfong makes landfall, Philippines evacuate hundreds of thousands
Philippine authorities started moving 200,000 people away from their homes in coastal and mountainous areas because of fears of flooding and ... World News