Typhoon Kajiki Slams Vietnam, Leaves Millions Without Power and Streets Flooded
HANOI – A powerful typhoon tore through central Vietnam on Monday, unleashing winds of up to 130 km/h (80 mph) that ripped the roofs off thousands of homes and plunged more than 1.6 million people into darkness.
Officials confirmed on Tuesday that at least three people were killed and 13 others injured. Authorities also warned of flash floods and landslides across eight provinces as torrential rains from Typhoon Kajiki continued to pound the region.
In the city of Vinh, soldiers and rescue workers worked through the wreckage, cutting through fallen trees and twisted sheets of metal that had blocked major roads.
“A huge steel roof was blown off from the eighth floor of a building and landed in the middle of the street,” said resident Tran Van Hung, 65. “It’s a miracle no one was hurt. This typhoon was absolutely terrifying.”
Another resident, Nguyen Thi Hoa, 60, recalled the terrifying night. “The wind was so strong, trees were twisting, and steel panels were flying everywhere. We are used to floods here, but I’ve never felt winds like that.”
Floodwaters cut off 27 villages in mountainous areas, officials said, while more than 44,000 people were evacuated before the storm made landfall.
Chaos in Hanoi
Further north in Hanoi, relentless rains flooded major roads on Tuesday, throwing the morning commute into disarray.
“It was impossible to move around this morning. My front yard is also flooded,” said Nguyen Thuy Lan, 44.
Commuter Tran Luu Phuc described being stranded for over an hour in waist-deep traffic gridlock. “The flooding and traffic are terrible. It’s a big mess everywhere,” he said.
After weakening into a tropical depression, Kajiki moved west into northern Laos, where heavy rains disrupted transport. The high-speed Laos-China railway was forced to suspend operations, and some roads were blocked, though no deaths were immediately reported.
Vietnam is among the countries most vulnerable to climate-driven storms and floods. In just the first seven months of 2025, more than 100 people have been killed or reported missing due to natural disasters.
Last year, Typhoon Yagi devastated northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, killing over 700 people and causing billions of dollars in losses.
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