Typhoon Sarika with Gusts 200 kph Approaching Vietnam as Casualty Rises to 31

Typhoon Sarika with sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 200 kph is heading toward northern Vietnam, leaving half of the country ready to cope with coming torrential rains and strong wind while death toll rises to 31 after the central region experienced serious floods last weekend. The northeast, especially Quang Ninh and Lang Son, two provinces bordering with China, has been warned to suffer heavy rains on Oct 19 when the typhoon is going ashore at 15 kilometers per hour from the country’s East Sea. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged state agencies to brace for the storm by calling ships and vessels to stay away from the typhoon path at sea and take shelter and evacuating residents from high-risk areas. Vietnam is susceptible to floods and storms, as they kill hundreds of people each year, causing a great deal of damage. Earlier last weekend, the floods triggered by heavy rains of up to 90 centimeters submerged 125,000 homes and damaged infrastructure and crops, and temporarily disrupted the north-south highway and railway links. Vietnam is prone to floods and storms, which kill hundreds of people and cause damages worth dozens of millions dollars each year. (VnExpress.net Oct 18, AP Oct 18)