At least five individuals lost their lives in Vietnam following the onslaught of Typhoon Kalmaegi that battered coastal areas with strong winds and heavy rainfall, officials confirmed on Friday. Prior to reaching Vietnam, the storm had already caused significant devastation in the Philippines, claiming the lives of over 188 people.
Typhoon Kalmaegi hit central Vietnam late on Thursday, resulting in uprooted trees, damaged houses, and power outages before losing strength as it moved further inland. Authorities issued warnings of persistent heavy rainfall of up to 200 millimeters in central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri, with concerns about rising river levels from Hue to Dak Lak that could lead to floods and landslides.
In Gia Lai province, which faced the brunt of the typhoon, shrimp farm owner Nguyen Dinh Sa suffered catastrophic losses. Despite his efforts, he could not save around six metric tons of shrimp due to the destructive impact of the storm. The typhoon caused widespread destruction along the coast, including fallen trees, scattered debris, and damaged structures, leaving residents reliant on generators for phone charging.
Vietnam’s disaster management agency reported seven injuries and approximately 2,800 homes damaged, with around 1.3 million people left without electricity. The state-run Vietnam News Agency mentioned the railway in Quang Ngai had been affected. The government deployed over 268,000 soldiers for search-and-rescue missions and highlighted the risk of flooding, which could affect agriculture in the Central Highlands, a key coffee-growing region in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited evacuation centers in Cebu to provide relief aid and assure victims of ongoing government assistance after Kalmaegi left 135 individuals missing and 96 injured.
Typhoon Kalmaegi is the 13th to originate in the South China Sea this year. Both Vietnam and the Philippines are susceptible to tropical storms and typhoons due to their locations on the Pacific typhoon belt, leading to frequent damage and casualties during peak storm seasons. The civil aviation regulator in the Philippines has heightened alert levels for all area centers and airport operations in anticipation of another typhoon, Fung-wong, which is expected to strengthen into a super typhoon before hitting the northern Philippines, potentially affecting the densely populated capital region of Manila.
