Top > World > 2006 > December > 2006-12-12

Deadly Typhoon Hits Vietnam

After leaving hundreds dead in the Philippines, Typhoon Durian has swept across the region and hit Vietnam, killing at least 48 people and causing extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. The typhoon has since been downgraded to a tropical storm and has headed across the Gulf of Thailand.

So while the imminent danger of the typhoon has passed, authorities are still warning people in the south-central area of Vietnam that rivers are rising and would eventually flood. In addition, 50 people are still missing and at least 400 people were injured by the 70 mph winds that accompanied the typhoon. 700 fishing boats sank and more than 120,000 homes were destroyed, leaving many without a roof over their heads. Authorities were not immediately able to provide an estimate of the overall damage caused by the typhoon.

The Asian region is particularly prone to typhoons and flooding every year. Hundreds ? and even thousands ? of people are killed, injured or left homeless by typhoons, which wreak havoc on flimsy housing constructions and rickety fishing boats. Typhoon Durian came barely six months after Typhoon Chanchu that caused the death of hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen. Another typhoon, a little over two months ago, caused extensive damage in the city of Danang. Seventy people died and literally hundreds of thousands of homes were submerged or destroyed altogether.