Typhoon Kajiki Strikes Vietnam, Causing Damage on Hainan Island

A powerful tropical storm has made landfall in Vietnam, prompting widespread alarm across several regions. Typhoon Kajiki, with maximum wind speeds of 133 km/h, hit the coastline between Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces on Monday afternoon, according to local authorities.

In advance of the storm, nearly 300,000 residents in coastal areas were advised to evacuate to safer locations. Meteorologists reported that the storm maintained its intensity for almost 20 hours, predicting severe winds, heavy rainfall, and towering waves.

Emergency measures were enacted in several central coastal provinces, including Thanh Hoa and Da Nang, resulting in the suspension of all maritime traffic. Additionally, several airports in the region were closed, leading to the cancellation of numerous flights. The storm's impact was felt on the ground, with strong winds and torrential rain causing trees to topple and power outages to occur.

The intensity of Kajiki has drawn comparisons to Typhoon Yagi, which devastated Vietnam last year, resulting in the loss of approximately 300 lives and extensive property damage. In response to the current situation, over 16,500 soldiers and more than 100,000 rescue personnel have been mobilized for emergency operations.

Prior to reaching Vietnam, Typhoon Kajiki had already affected China's Hainan Island, where over 100,000 individuals were reported to be impacted. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported thus far. The strong winds and heavy rains resulted in fallen trees and structural damage to numerous buildings.

The freight transport between Haikou, a port city in northern Hainan, and Xuwen on the mainland has also been disrupted, with approximately 5,000 trucks waiting for passage, as reported by Chinese state television. Authorities had previously evacuated more than 20,000 people from particularly vulnerable areas the day before the storm made landfall.

Meanwhile, Thailand is bracing for the storm's residual effects. The national meteorological service has issued warnings of heavy rainfall across 35 provinces, including regions in the north, northeast, east, and south. Even the capital city, Bangkok, is expected to face potential flooding. Meteorologists predict that the storm will likely weaken as it moves over Laos, but significant rainfall and flooding risk will persist until at least Wednesday.