Typhoon Kajiki Kills 3 in Vietnam, Shuts Airports and Triggers Mass Evacuations

At least three people have been killed and 10 other injured in Vietnam after Typhoon Kajiki hit northern and central areas of the country on August 25, bringing fierce winds, heavy rains and flooding that collapsed homes, felled trees and turned streets in the capital, Hanoi, into rivers, according to Xinhua.

The storm also damaged over 6,800 houses, inundated over 28,800 hectares of rice fields, 2,200 hectares of other crops, and toppled nearly 18,000 trees across the affected provinces, the Voice of Vietnam said, citing the ministry's report.

Vietnam’s government, in a statement, said Kajiki also brought down 331 electricity poles, causing widespread blackouts in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thai Nguyen and Phu Tho provinces.

It has now crossed into Laos, weakened into a tropical depression.

The country’s national weather agency forecast continued downpours through August 26, with some areas likely to get up to 150 millimetres (6 inches) of rain in six hours, potentially causing flash floods and landslides, according to Al Jazeera.

As reported by local media in Hanoi, the continued heavy rains have caused widespread flooding, submerging streets, stalling vehicles and snarling traffic.

As a result, Vietnam shut down airports, closed schools and initiated mass evacuations on August 25 as it prepared for the most powerful storm so far this year, reported Reuters.

About 44,000 people were evacuated from the region as 16,000 military personnel were deployed and all fishing boats in the typhoon's path were ordered back to harbour, reported AFP.

Two airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces have been shut down, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have cancelled dozens of flights to and from the area.

Vietnam has shut down airports, closed schools, and initiated mass evacuations as it prepares for the most powerful storm so far this year.

Typhoon Kajiki was packing winds of up to 166 kph (103 mph) as it approached Vietnam's central coast and was forecast to grow stronger before making landfall on the afternoon of August 25, the country's weather agency told Reuters.

"This is an extremely dangerous fast-moving storm," the government said in a statement on the night of August 24, warning that Kajiki would bring heavy rains, flooding and landslides.

The storm was 150 km off the central coast as of 00.00 GMT, the weather agency said. The eye of the storm is forecasted to hit an area between Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces around 09.00 GMT.

Vietnam Prone to Storms

According to Reuters, Vietnam, with a long coastline facing the South China Sea, is prone to storms that are often deadly and trigger dangerous flooding and mudslides. The Vietnamese government said Kajiki was expected to be as powerful as Typhoon Yagi, which battered the country less than a year ago, killing about 300 people and causing $3.3 billion of property damage.

Authorities told Reuters on August 25 that more than half a million people would be evacuated and ordered boats to stay ashore.