>> Typhoon Wutip strikes central region
The Centre for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control in the Central and Central Highlands regions report that the storm has claimed three lives in Quang Binh province. Two of the deaths were caused by the collapse of an antenna mast in Dong Hoi city.
The typhoon injured 31 others and left over 250,000 houses, offices and schools without roofs. Thousands of hectares of crops and many roads were flooded. Wutip has caused large-scale power cuts in the central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.
The North-South railway route running through Quang Binh province was forced to stop operating on September 30. There was also widespread damage to sea dikes and embankments.
According to the national meteorological agencies, Wutip is an uncommon storm, with its path constantly changing and its wind speeds continuing to rise while approaching the coast.
To proactively cope with the aftermath of the storm, the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control urged local authorities to set up inspection teams, reinforce dike systems and strengthen drainage works to protect resident areas and crops from flooding.
The National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) reported that as of 1am this morning the storm was positioned at 17.9 degrees north latitude, 104.4 degrees east longitude in central Laos, with sustained winds of 62-74 kph.
In the next 12 hours, it is predicted to move west-northwest at a speed of 20 kph, weakening into a tropical depression.
Due to the impact from the storm’s circulation, central provinces from Nghe An to Quang Binh continue to suffer strong winds of 39-49 kph, while heavy rain persists in localities from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri with a projected rainfall of 100-200 mm from Ha Tinh to Da Nang.
In Quang Binh province’s Le Thuy district, more than 2,000 houses were left without roofs and hundreds of trees were uprooted.
Radio Voice of Vietnam’s 150m antenna in Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh province was blown over.
Roofs were blown off houses in Quang Binh
Evacuating residents of Xuan Hoi commune (Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province) to safety
Electric poles and trees struck down during the storm in Quang Tri province
Enormous waves caused serious erosion at Cua Dai beach in Hoi An city (Quang Nam province)
