HANOI: Vietnam urged more people on Tuesday September 27 to evacuate as an intensifying Typhoon Noru barrelled towards the southeast Asian nation, after causing eight deaths and widespread flooding in the Philippines.
Wind speeds were seen reaching 183 km per hour late on Tuesday, the country's meteorological agency said, adding that Noru was expected to make landfall in Vietnam on Wednesday before weakening and moving on to Thailand.
The typhoon forced airports in Vietnam to close, leading to travel disruption and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes, according to official statements. The meteorological agency said that wind speeds ranged from 134 km per hour to 149 km per hour early on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at an emergency response meeting that the storm is intensifying, so our responses must be stronger and faster.
Evacuation must be done as soon as possible with top priorities being people's lives and assets. Vietnam's aviation authority shut down nine airports across the country from Tuesday, forcing hundreds of domestic and international flights to be cancelled.
Around 270,000 military personnel have been placed on standby, the government said in a statement.
The hardest-hit areas were likely to be central provinces, Quang Ngai, home to the Dung Quat oil refinery, and Quang Nam, home to the World Heritage site of Hoi An, said the meteorological agency.
The province of Quang Nam evacuated more than 133,000 residents, while footage from state media VTV showed people fortifying their homes with bricks and sandbags.
Authorities were trying to secure the country's coffee-growing areas north of the Central Highlands region.
In the Philippines, where Category 3 storm made landfall on Sunday night, authorities said at least eight people had died, about 74,000 were sheltering in evacuation centres and many more were left without electricity.
During a local broadcaster's footage showed police personnel cutting up fallen trees blocking roads in Quezon province, and residents sorting through debris with their hands. According to footage aired on DZRH's Youtube channel, aid workers distributed relief goods and food to coastal communities.
The Philippines' strongest storm this year, Typhoon Noru, also damaged 1.53 billion pesos US $26 million worth of crops, according to government data.
Daniel Fernando, governor of Bulacan province north of the capital, told DZRH that there are still areas with floods. He said that fields of rice almost ready for harvest were damaged beyond recovery.