Hanoi: Coastal areas in Vietnam are assessing the damage from strong winds and heavy rain brought on by Typhoon Kalmaegi on Thursday, with state media reporting one death after the storm swept through the Philippines, killing at least 188 people.
According to Thai News Agency, the storm made landfall in central Vietnam late Thursday, uprooting trees, damaging homes, and causing power outages in several areas before weakening as it moved inland. Authorities warned of continued heavy rainfall of up to 200 millimeters in central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri.
As the death toll from the storm in the Philippines rises, Philippine officials say 135 people are still missing and 96 injured.
In Vietnam, there are no official death tolls, but the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported one death in Dak Lak province from a house collapse. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed houses with roofs blown off, flooded homes, and roads littered with fallen trees and debris.
The Vietnamese government said it had mobilized more than 268,000 troops for search and rescue operations and warned of the possibility of flooding in low-lying areas, which could impact agriculture in the Central Highlands, Vietnam's main coffee-growing region.
Kalmaegi is the 13th typhoon to form in the South China Sea this year. Vietnam and the Philippines are at high risk of tropical storms and typhoons due to their location in the Pacific typhoon belt, which often causes damage and deaths during peak storm season.
The Philippine Civil Aviation Authority has issued the highest alert level for all regional control centers and airport operations in preparation for another typhoon expected to hit parts of the country this weekend.