Typhoon Kajiki Forces Vietnam to Evacuate Thousands
Powerful storm prompts mass evacuations, airport closures.
Vietnam is on high alert as Typhoon Kajiki, the strongest storm of the year, barrels toward its central coast, prompting the evacuation of nearly 600,000 people and the closure of schools and airports. With winds reaching 166 kilometers per hour on Monday morning, forecasters expect the typhoon to make landfall between Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces later today, though it may weaken slightly before hitting the coast.
Originating as a weak tropical depression on August 22, Kajiki rapidly intensified into a powerful storm within 48 hours, rivaling last year’s devastating Typhoon Yagi, which killed 300 people and caused $3.3 billion in damages. The storm’s swift escalation has forced Vietnamese authorities to implement urgent measures, including deploying over 16,500 soldiers and 107,000 paramilitary personnel for evacuations and potential search-and-rescue operations. High-risk areas in Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue, and Danang, home to over 152,000 vulnerable households, are being prioritized for evacuation.
Kajiki has already left a trail of destruction, claiming one life in Nghe An province, where a man was electrocuted while securing his roof. The storm also battered China’s Hainan Island and Guangdong province on Sunday, leading to the evacuation of 20,000 people. After landfall, Kajiki is expected to move inland, threatening Laos and northern Thailand with heavy rains and strong winds.
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The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam halted flights at airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh, with dozens of cancellations reported. Schools across the affected regions have been shuttered to ensure safety. State media highlighted the government’s proactive response, but concerns remain about the storm’s potential impact on densely populated areas.
Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying Southeast Asia’s cyclones, with warmer seas causing storms to form closer to land, strengthen faster, and persist longer. “The rapid changes we predicted are already here,” said Benjamin P. Horton, Dean of the School of the Environment at City University of Hong Kong. “This is a stark reminder that the climate crisis is unfolding faster than anticipated, putting millions at risk.”
As Vietnam braces for Kajiki’s impact, the region faces a sobering reality of increasingly severe weather events driven by a warming planet.
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