Typhoon Kajiki: Storm makes landfall in Vietnam, kills three; thousands displaced

Typhoon Kajiki made landfall in Vietnam on Monday afternoon, lashing coastal provinces with winds of 118-133 km/h. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday (Aug 26) that at least three people have died and 10 others were injured, while warnings remain in place for flash floods and landslides due to heavy rainfall.

One victim in Nghe An province was electrocuted on Friday while trying to secure his roof before the storm hit, state media reported. “Our top priority at the moment is to evacuate all people in vulnerable areas to safe grounds,” said Hoang Quoc Viet, director of agriculture and environment in Nghe An, according to the New York Times.

Kajiki developed rapidly, strengthening from a tropical depression on August 22 into a severe storm within two days, matching the intensity of Typhoon Yagi, which struck Vietnam last year. The storm damaged nearly 7,000 homes, inundated close to 28,800 hectares of rice paddies, uprooted 18,000 trees, and downed 331 power poles, causing widespread outages in provinces including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thai Nguyen, and Phu Tho, Channel News Asia reported.
Transport and evacuations

Air travel has been severely disrupted, with Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet cancelling flights from two central-region airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh. Train services were suspended and road traffic halted in Ha Tinh province.

Nearly 600,000 people were ordered to evacuate from Ha Tinh, while evacuation measures were also rolled out in Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue, and Da Nang. State media noted that over 152,000 houses in these provinces are located in high-risk zones. To aid relief efforts, the government mobilised more than 16,500 army troops and 107,000 paramilitary forces for evacuation and rescue operations.
Impact across Southeast Asia

Before striking Vietnam, Kajiki swept across China’s southern Hainan Island, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. In Thailand, authorities issued a nationwide alert for potential landslides and flash floods, particularly in foothill and riverbank communities. The storm also reached Shanghai, where gusts scattered debris across the city.

Typhoons frequently hit Vietnam, often forming in the South China Sea or the western Pacific before weakening over the Philippines and regaining strength in warmer waters, as cited by the BBC.