Hanoi, Nov 7 (IANS) Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least five people dead and six others injured in central Vietnam, local daily Lao Dong reported on Friday.
Three of the fatalities were recorded in Dak Lak province, while the other two were in Gia Lai province.
According to preliminary reports from local authorities, 52 houses collapsed and 2,593 others were damaged across the region.
Local authorities are continuing to assess the damage and carry out recovery efforts.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said the typhoon weakened into a tropical depression early Friday morning before further dissipating into a low-pressure area over southern Laos, Xinhua news agency reported.
On Thursday, Typhoon Kalmaegi had made landfall in central Vietnam bringing torrential rains and powerful winds that caused widespread damage, local media outlet VNExpress had reported.
The typhoon had uprooted trees, damaged roofs, and shattered glass windows of buildings in several localities. Power outages were reported across large areas of several provinces, affecting hundreds of thousands of households.
Local authorities had said rescue teams had received numerous emergency calls from residents reporting roof collapses and flooding, while strong winds had hindered immediate response efforts.
Eight airports and more than 50 flights in Vietnam had been affected as Typhoon Kalmaegi moves toward the country’s central and southern regions, local daily Cong An Nhan Dan reported.
Airports expected to be directly impacted include Da Nang, Phu Bai, Lien Khuong, Chu Lai, Phu Cat, Tuy Hoa, Pleiku and Buon Ma Thuot, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.
The authority had ordered round-the-clock monitoring and strict compliance with typhoon response procedures.
The Airports Corporation of Vietnam had been instructed to coordinate with relevant agencies to inspect airport infrastructure and communication systems and promptly detect and repair any damage.
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines had also announced that more than 50 flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday had been affected due to flight adjustments made to ensure operational safety.
–IANS
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