Vietnam: death toll climbs to 61 after typhoon Damrey

At least 61 have been killed, another 28 missing and more than 116,000 homes destroyed, in the wake of destructive typhoon that struck several provinces on Saturday

7 November 2017, 10:20am

2 min read

Residents and tourists are transported by boats through floodwaters in Hoi An after Typhoon Damrey made landfall in central Vietnam (Photo: AFP)

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A powerful typhoon, which rocked Vietnam killed at least 61, left more than 28 missing and caused extensive damage to the country's south-central region ahead of a summit that will draw leaders from around the world, said the government on Monday.

The Vietnam Disaster Management Authority said in a statement that widespread flooding was reported in the region and that more than 116,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

In the provinces of Khan Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Phu Yen, nearly 80,000 houses were damaged and some 35,000 people were evacuated.

The missing include nine crew members of cargo ships that sank off the coast of Khanh Hoa province.

Typhoon Damrey struck on Saturday but the disaster agency said flooding may get worse as heavy rain was forecast for the region.

The area hit includes Danang, which is hosting an economic summit later this week that will be attended by US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping amongst others.

(Photo: Reuters)

(Photo: Dawn)

President Trump is scheduled to visit the coastal city of Da Nang for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum as part of a two-week trip across the Asia-Pacific region.

The worst in years

A half-hour drive away in the ancient town of Hoi An, where spouses of the APEC leaders were scheduled to visit, residents said they were suffering from the worst floods in decades.

"Our family of six members has to live on the second floor, where we had to move all our belongings," said resident Nguyen Thi Hong, 70.

"Life was very difficult because there was no electricity and we have to use boats to get around."

Shops in Hoi An, a UNESCO world heritage site popular with tourists, were closed and boats were the only means of transportation in many flooded parts of the town.

Rains of up to 78cm were reported in some parts of the central region over the 24 hours until Sunday evening.

The typhoon was the second to hit Vietnam in a month.