Noru hits central Vietnam as a tropical storm
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sep 28 (EFE).- Typhoon Noru, downgraded to a tropical storm by the Vietnamese meteorological service, hit central Vietnam during the early hours of Wednesday, where numerous damages occurred and authorities asked citizens to remain vigilant.
The Vietnamese meteorological agency said Noru made landfall during the early morning in Quang Nam province, where it caused heavy flooding in the city of Hoian, one of the country’s tourist attractions, and in Danang, the third largest city.
The strong winds of up to 117 kmph caused multiple damages, took away roofs and felled trees, according to the images shown on social and local media.
Authorities said there were risks of landslides and river overflows throughout the central zone, where some 400,000 people residing in risk areas were evacuated, schools were suspended and thousands of flights were canceled by closure of 10 airports.
The Army put 270,000 troops on alert before the order given by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the authorities throughout the country to avoid human losses due to the storm.
Noru, the fourth tropical storm to hit Vietnam this year, caused at least eight deaths and left three missing as it passed through the Philippines, where it has also caused millionaire losses to the agricultural sector.
Vietnam, with a 3,260-kilometer-long coastline, is one of the countries most exposed to tropical storms and natural disasters such as landslides, which killed 139 people in the country last year. EFE
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