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Typhoon Kajiki hits Vietnam: 3 dead; airports shut amid widespread damage | What we know
Heavy rains and winds caused flooding, blackouts, and evacuations of nearly 44,000 people. The storm has weakened but warnings for rain remain in place.
Typhoon Kajiki swept over Vietnam, kiling at least three people and injuring 10 others as warnings for heavy rain, flooding and landslides remain in place.
Accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds howling more than 130 kilometres per hour, Kajiki flooded several places including Hanoi, disrupted lives and caused widespread blackouts in the country after it developed into a typhoon on Monday evening (Indochina time), said the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in its latest advisory.
Nearly 44,000 people were evacuated from the region as 16,000 military personnel were mobilised and all fishing boats in the typhoon's path were called back to harbour, reported news agency AFP.
Vietnam's national weather agency, National centre for hydro-meteorological forecasting warned that rains will continue in several parts of northern Vietnam, with some areas likely to get up to 150 millimetres (6 inches) of rain in six hours, potentially causing flash floods and landslides.
“The situation is extremely dangerous and not safe for any vehicles or structures such as tourism or fishing vessels and aquaculture raising facilities,” warned disaster management officials under the ministry of agriculture and environment.
Also read | Thousands evacuated, airports closed in Vietnam ahead of Typhoon Kajiki landfall
Typhoon Kajiki | Top points
1. Death toll stands at three: Typhoon Kajiki that swept over Vietnam on Monday has claimed at least three lives so far, reported Reuters. Several others have been reported missing. Authorities said more than 3,25,500 people in five coastal provinces will be relocated to schools and public buildings being used as evacuation centres.
China's tropical resort island of Hainan also evacuated around 20,000 residents on Sunday as the typhoon passed its south.
2. Damage and disruption in daily lives: Typhoon Kajiki damaged nearly 7,000 homes, inundated 28,800 hectares of rice plantings and felled 18,000 trees, the government said in a statement. It also brought down 331 electricity poles, causing widespread blackouts in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thai Nguyen and Phu Tho provinces.
3. Tropical depression that caused Kajiki moved: After making landfall on Vietnam's north central coast on Monday afternoon, Kajiki has since weakened to a tropical depression as it moved across to Laos on Tuesday morning, the national weather agency, National centre for hydro-meteorological forecasting said, adding that heavy rain would continue over the upcoming days.
Before making landfall in Vietnam, Kajiki skirted the southern coast of China's Hainan Island on Sunday, forcing Sanya City on the island to close businesses and public transport.
4. Airports shut, several flights cancelled: The country's national carriers Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have cancelled multiple flights due to the typhoon.
Two domestic airports were shut and at least 35 flights cancelled before it landed between Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces, tearing the roofs off more than 600 homes according to authorities, an AFP report read.
The island's main city, Sanya, closed scenic areas and halted business operations.
5. Typhoon hit Vietnam every year: The Kajiki typhoon, which is the fifth to affect Vietnam this year, roiled the Gulf of Tonkin with waves of up to 9.5 metres (31 feet) before hitting shore around 3:00 pm (0800 GMT).
More than 100 people have been killed or left missing from natural disasters in Vietnam in the first seven months of 2025, according to the national agriculture ministry.
Economic losses have been estimated at more than $21 million. Vietnam suffered $3.3 billion in economic losses last September as a result of Typhoon Yagi, which swept across the country's north and caused hundreds of fatalities, reported AFP.
Scientists warn that human-induced climate change is fuelling more intense and unpredictable weather patterns, increasing the risk of destructive storms and floods, especially in tropical regions.
(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)
