Three dead after Typhoon Wutip batters Vietnam
October 01, 2013
Roads were flooded, sea dykes damaged and power lines torn up along the central coastline, including in top tourist attractions such as the World Heritage Site of Hoi An and the ancient capital of Hue.
In Hoi An, an old trading port known for its traditional wooden architecture, streets around the river were under water although the main tourist districts were not affected, city officials said.
Flooding was also reported in Hue and authorities warned there could be more rain coming.
High winds ripped the roofs off around 95,000 houses and tens of thousands of hectares of crops were destroyed after Typhoon Wutip -- packing winds of up to 103 kilometres (64 miles) an hour -- hit the communist country late Monday, authorities said.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung put local authorities on high alert for flash floods and landslides in the aftermath of the typhoon as officials battled to clear up the worst of the damage.
China deployed navy warships and aircraft on Monday to search for survivors after three of its fishing boats sank in rough waters whipped up by Wutip, leaving more than 70 people missing.
By early Tuesday the typhoon had weakened to a tropical depression and moved over neighbouring Laos, Vietnamese meteorologists said.
Two people were killed in Vietnam's central Quang Binh province after strong winds toppled a radio station antenna as the storm hit on Monday, the country's flood and storm control department said.
A 40-year-old man was killed after being buried under a collapsed wall, the department added.
State media earlier reported that a 14-year-old boy died in Quang Binh province after falling from a roof, but there was no official confirmation.
Up to 300 millimeters (12 inches) of rain fell on Vietnam from Friday to Monday, the flood department said.
