Typhoon Kajiki Hits Vietnam with Urgent Evacuations and School Closures

Vietnam faces a severe environmental challenge as Typhoon Kajiki, the strongest storm of the year, approaches. Authorities have evacuated hundreds of thousands and closed schools and airports in preparation for the typhoon, which has winds reaching 166 km/h, though some weakening is expected before it makes landfall.

Originating from a tropical depression on August 22, Typhoon Kajiki rapidly intensified, paralleling last year's Typhoon Yagi. The typhoon has already wreaked havoc in China, prompting the evacuation of 20,000 individuals from high-risk areas, and has resulted in casualties, including an electrocution fatality in Vietnam's Nghe An province.

With nearly 600,000 people set to be evacuated across several provinces, Vietnam's government has mobilized over 16,500 soldiers and 107,000 paramilitary personnel for evacuation and potential search and rescue operations. This climatic event underscores scientists' warnings about the potential for more frequent and intense storms due to climate change.

(With inputs from agencies.)