Vietnam prepares to evacuate half a million people ahead of Typhoon Kajiki

More than 16,500 soldiers and 107,000 paramilitary unit person been mobilised to assistance with the evacuation.

Tens of thousands of radical person been ordered to evacuate from Vietnam’s coastline facing the South China Sea, with airports and schools unopen arsenic authorities brace for Typhoon Kajiki.

The Vietnamese authorities said connected Monday that astir 30,000 radical had been evacuated from coastal areas. Authorities said connected Sunday that much than fractional a cardinal radical would beryllium evacuated and ordered boats to stay successful port.

“This is an highly unsafe fast-moving storm,” the authorities said successful a connection connected Sunday night, informing that Kajiki would bring dense rains, flooding and landslides.

More than 16,500 soldiers and 107,000 paramilitary unit person been mobilised to assistance with the evacuation and to basal by for hunt and rescue, the authorities said successful a statement.

The typhoon with winds of up to 166km/h (103mph) astatine oversea is owed to marque landfall connected Monday afternoon, the country’s upwind bureau said. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said conditions suggested “an approaching weakening inclination arsenic the strategy approaches the continental support of the Gulf of Tonkin wherever determination is little water vigor content”.

Two airports successful the Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces person been closed, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air cancelled dozens of flights to and from the country connected Sunday and Monday.

Coastal provinces person banned ships from going retired to oversea starting Monday and were calling successful those already out, said Vietnam’s quality agency.

Vietnam is prone to storms that are often deadly and trigger unsafe flooding and mudslides. More than 100 radical were killed oregon went missing owed to earthy disasters successful the archetypal 7 months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Last year, Typhoon Yagi killed astir 300 radical and caused spot harm of astir $3.3bn.

‘A spot scared’

The waterfront metropolis of Vinh was deluged overnight, its streets mostly deserted by greeting with astir shops and restaurants closed arsenic residents and concern owners sandbagged their spot entrances.

“I person ne'er heard of a typhoon of this large standard coming to our city,” 66-year-old Le Manh Tung, successful the metropolis of Vinh, told the AFP quality agency. He is sheltering alongside different evacuated families astatine an indoor stadium.

“I americium a spot scared, but past we person to judge it due to the fact that it’s quality – we cannot bash anything.”

Houses tally the hazard of illness from the storm, and adjacent high-rise buildings could endure superior damage, said Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, the authoritative Vietnam News Agency reported.

The tempest is projected to determination inland crossed Laos and bluish Thailand.

Kajiki deed the confederate seashore of China’s Hainan Island connected Sunday arsenic it moved towards Vietnam. About 20,000 residents were evacuated from the Chinese province, which downgraded its typhoon and exigency effect alerts connected Monday morning.

But authorities warned of dense rainfall and isolated storms successful cities successful the confederate portion of the province.