Typhoon Damrey Kills At Least 49 People in Vietnam

November 6, 2017 4:42 AM

- VOA News

A powerful typhoon that blasted Vietnam's south-central coast has killed at least 49 people, left more than a dozen missing and caused extensive damage to the region.

19 people are still missing, including nine crew members of cargo ships that sank off the coast of Khanh Hoa province, the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority said in a statement Monday.

Widespread flooding was reported and more than 116,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged, the statement said.

Typhoon Damrey rocked Vietnam Saturday and has already dissipated, but the disaster agency said flooding may get worse because of heavy rain forecast for the region.

The central city of Da Nang, which is hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit from November 8 to 10, has also been experiencing heavy rainfall.

Heads of state from 21 nations are expected to attend the summit, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin.