Four killed as Typhoon Doksuri blasts central Vietnam
Typhoon Doksuri has slammed into central Vietnam, killing four people and injuring 10 others as heavy rain and strong wind ripped off roofs and knocked over electricity poles.
Blackouts were widespread and technicians were working to restore power. Flooding was reported in some villages.
Packing maximum sustained winds of 84mph, the typhoon made landfall in Ha Tinh province, pounding six coastal districts and destroying the roofs of 62,500 houses, disaster official Ngo Duc Hoi said.
In the neighbouring province of Quang Binh, a man fell to his death when he tried to reinforce his house and an elderly man fell to the ground in his yard and died of head injuries, said disaster official Nguyen Duc Toan.
Ten other people were injured by falling trees or debris, he added, and another 50,000 homes were damaged.
Disaster official Tran Xuan Binh, in Nghe An province, north of Ha Tinh, said an 83-year-old woman died after being hit by falling debris, while in Thua Thien Hue province, south of Quang Binh, a man was swept away and died in a swollen river.
The typhoon had gusts of up to 115mph.
Doksuri swept through the Philippines on Tuesday as a less powerful tropical depression, killing at least four people and leaving six missing.
The Vietnam Disaster Management Authority said as of early Friday, 79,000 villagers in high-risk areas in five central provinces had been evacuated and another 210,000 were to be moved to safety ahead of the typhoon.
Forecasters also warned of flash floods and landslides in some parts of the country's northern and central regions. The typhoon is expected to weaken before dissipating in northern Laos on Saturday.
Vietnam, a country of 93 million people, is prone to floods and storms that kill hundreds of people each year.
AP
