Vietnam plans mass evacuation, China's Sanya shuts as Typhoon Kajiki intensifies
Vietnam has begun moving more than half a million residents to safety and ordered vessels to remain in port, while the southern Chinese resort city of Sanya has shut shops and halted public transport as both countries brace for Typhoon Kajiki.
China’s National Meteorological Centre said the storm is expected to skim the southern coast of Hainan Island late Sunday before heading towards Vietnam. By 0900 GMT, Vietnam’s weather bureau reported wind speeds of 166 kph (103 mph), with forecasts suggesting Kajiki could strengthen to 180 kph.
State media in Vietnam said 586,000 people are being evacuated from Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue and Danang provinces, where the typhoon is set to strike early Monday. Residents in the storm’s path have been told to remain indoors from Sunday afternoon, and troops have been deployed to assist with relief operations.
Seven coastal provinces have banned fishing boats from leaving shore, according to Tien Phong newspaper. Vietnam Airlines has cancelled at least 22 flights, while budget carrier Vietjet also announced cancellations and delays.
In Sanya, a city known for its beach resorts, officials issued a red alert, the highest on China’s warning scale, and raised the emergency response to the top level. Attractions, construction sites, shopping centres, restaurants and supermarkets have all been ordered closed, while maritime traffic has been suspended.
China’s weather service warned of torrential downpours in Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi, with some parts of Hainan forecast to see up to 320 millimetres of rain between Sunday and Monday. Officials urged residents to prepare for “worst-case scenarios.”
Kajiki has drawn comparisons with Typhoon Yagi, which struck Vietnam last year, leaving around 300 people dead and causing an estimated US$3.3 billion in damages.
China has already been grappling with extreme weather this summer, with record rainfall linked to climate change bringing flooding and drought that caused more than 52 billion yuan (US$7.28 billion) in direct losses in July, affecting millions and leaving nearly 300 people dead or missing, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
Reuters
