Typhoon Molave slams into Vietnam, dozens missing

At least two reported killed and 26 fishermen missing at sea as the strong typhoon tears into the country’s central coastline.

Authorities relocated approximately 375,000 people to safety, cancelled hundreds of flights [EPA]

At least two people have reportedly been killed and 26 others missing as Typhoon Molave hit central Vietnam, knocking down trees and tearing roofs off homes in some of the worst destruction seen in years.

Authorities relocated approximately 375,000 people to safety, cancelled hundreds of flights and closed schools and beaches ahead of the typhoon, which made landfall south of Danang packing winds of up to 145km/h (90 m/h).

State media said at least two people were killed in Quang Ngai province while trying to protect their homes from the storm.

“The people of Vietnam are tough, yet this is among the worst destruction ever seen in many areas,” said Vietnam Red Cross Society president Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu.

“The relentless storms and flooding are taking a devastating human toll, further destroying livelihoods and isolating millions of people.”

Officials were also searching for 26 missing fishermen, with the storm – Vietnam’s fourth this month – bringing waves up to six metres (20 feet) high as power was cut off across the region.

A woman clears debris outside an eatery next to uprooted trees in central Vietnam’s Quang Ngai province [Manan Vatsyayana/AFP]

 

Fishing ban

Navy and surveillance vessels were deployed to look for the crew members after their two boats disappeared after they attempted to dock, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said.

A fishing ban has been in place since Tuesday, while all airports in the area were closed until further notice.

The typhoon comes on the back of weeks of severe flooding and landslides that have killed at least 130 people and damaged or destroyed more than 310,000 homes, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Close to 1.2 million people were in “severe danger” and in need of relief, the IFRC warned.

“These relentless storms are yet another example of the devastating impact of climate change,” Red Cross spokesman Christopher Rassi said.

Vietnam is prone to natural disasters in the rainy season between June and November, with central coastal provinces commonly impacted, but the storms have notably worsened in recent years.

Molave hit the Philippines on Saturday and Sunday and the death toll there rose to nine on Tuesday.

Water surrounds houses after typhoon Molave made landfall, in Hoi An, Quang Nam province [EPA]
Source: News Agencies