Europe Asia News

One of the deadliest storms of the year, Typhoon Kalmaegi, swept through central Vietnam on Thursday with winds reaching up to 149 km/h before moving westward toward Cambodia and Laos.

According to local reports, in Vietnam’s Dak Lak province one person died when a house collapsed, and two more people died in Gia Lai province. The government’s disaster management center has not yet released any data on casualties or damages.

Before the storm hit, the Vietnamese army mobilized more than 260,000 soldiers and personnel, over 6,700 vehicles, and six aircraft for relief operations.

Some airports and highways were closed, and hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated.

Local media reported that shortly after the typhoon made landfall in Vietnam at 7:29 p.m. local time, hundreds of residents in Dak Lak province called for help.

The Dak Lak province is located about 350 kilometers northeast of Ho Chi Minh City.

Many residents reported that their homes were destroyed or flooded as strong winds and heavy rain continued to batter the region.