At least five individuals lost their lives in Vietnam following the onslaught of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which brought destructive winds and heavy rainfall to coastal areas. The storm hit central Vietnam late on Thursday, causing damage to homes, uprooting trees, and leading to power outages before weakening as it moved further inland.
Authorities have issued warnings of ongoing heavy rainfall of up to 200 millimetres in central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri. They also highlighted the risk of flooding and landslides due to rising river levels from Hue to Dak Lak. In Gia Lai province, shrimp farm owner Nguyen Dinh Sa suffered significant losses, with around six metric tons of shrimp destroyed.
The typhoon caused extensive devastation along the coast, including fallen trees, scattered debris, and damaged infrastructure. Residents were seen gathering around generators to charge their phones in the aftermath of the storm. Vietnam’s disaster management agency reported seven injuries and approximately 2,800 homes damaged, leaving about 1.3 million people without electricity.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines visited evacuation centers in Cebu to distribute relief aid and assure victims of continued government assistance following the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi. The storm left 135 people missing and injured 96 others in the Philippines.
Both Vietnam and the Philippines are prone to tropical storms and typhoons due to their geographic locations along the Pacific typhoon belt. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has heightened alert levels at all area centers and airports in anticipation of Typhoon Fung-wong, projected to intensify into a super typhoon before hitting northern Aurora province. The effects of the upcoming typhoon could potentially impact the densely populated capital region of Manila.