3 killed, 100,000 houses damaged in Vietnam typhoon

Bangkok, Sep 16 (IANS) At least three persons were killed and more than 100,000 houses damaged as Typhoon Doksuri battered central Vietnam, the authorities said on Saturday.

The typhoon, which entered the country with winds of 135 km per hour and heavy rainfall, left three dead in Thua Thien-Hue, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Control.

Asean's humanitarian aid centre said more than 100,000 houses were damaged in central Vietnam, Efe news reported.

Around 80 per cent of the buildings including schools, sanatoriums and religious premises in Ky Anh in Ha Tinh province were damaged, Vietnam Net reported.

Asean's humanitarian assistance centre said the authorities resorted to power cuts in large parts as a preventive measure, which will affect more than 1.3 million people, according to local media.

People's committee head in Thua Thien-Hue, Nguyen Van Cao, said water in dams and reserves in the province were at acceptable levels, and they had food and fuel stored in case of a prolonged impact of Doksuri.

The typhoon arrived on Friday in Ha Tinh province and according to forecasts, it is due to move west into Laos, dropping intensity gradually.

Doksuri is the 10th typhoon so far this year in Vietnam, where natural disasters have claimed the lives of at least 140 people, according to official data.

The typhoon reached Vietnam from the Philippines, where it left four people dead and 18 missing, besides causing floods and significant material damage.

Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung had warned on Thursday that Doksuri could be the worst typhoon to hit the country in a decade.