Typhoon Molave pounds central Vietnam, causes huge damage

Cuong, who is inspecting storm prevention and control in the central region, told the media, strong winds have brought down many big trees and ripped roofs off 447 houses in Quang Ngai.

Residents of 145 communes in Quang Ngai have lived without electricity since early in the morning, he said, adding the local power company was ordered to stop providing power for safety reasons.   

Rain is continuing to fall heavily in the locality, measuring up to 400mm, while high tidal surges are reported at Cua Dai beach.

Elsewhere, typhoon Molave is ripping through other localities from Hue to Phu Yen, tearing roofs of homes in these provinces. Meteorologists have advised people to stay indoors during the height of the typhoon to avoid unnecessary injury.

Widespread outages have also been reported in Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Kon Tum, Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces. The Vietnam Electricity group said it will inspect and restore the network in these localities as soon as typhoon Molave dissipates.

Molave weakened a little after hitting the central coast, but sustaining strong winds of between 115-135kph. It will weaken into a tropical low depression when travelling further inland.

In the morning, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and the Ministry of Defence agreed to dispatch two naval ships and two fisheries surveillance boats from Cam Ranh Bay to rescue fishermen in distress at sea.

Two fishing boats with 26 fishermen on board capsized off the central coasts of Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa on the afternoon October 27. Authorities lost contact with all the fishermen.

A nearby fishing boat approached the two sinking boats, but they tried in vain. The boat’s captain signified a distress signal, and he remained in contact with the mainland.  

Inspecting storm prevention and control in Da Nang in the morning, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung asked local authorities to provide daily necessities, including food and drinking water, for evacuees.

“Top priority is given to protecting people’s lives and their property,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Quang Nam province has decided to stop providing electricity for consumers for safety reasons. The province has evacuated nearly 89,000 residents to storm shelters before Molave approached the shore.  

(To be updated....)