Typhoon Rammasun: Dozens dead after storms batter Vietnam and China

A typhoon that ripped through south-east Asia has killed at least 11 people and left several missing in Vietnam after it made contact over the weekend. 

Heavy floods, landslides and strong winds battered the country as Typhoon Rammasun made landfall, completely destroying homes and blocking roads.

The storm had last week barrelled through the Philippines killing 94, while in China at least 33 died as a result of the extreme weather.

Provinces in northern Vietnam, towards the border with China, were one of the worst hit, experiencing the typhoon at its most intense as it destroyed rice paddies and other crops.

Parts of Lang Son City were submerged in water, the English-language Vietnam News reports, with water reaching as high as the rooftop of shops.

Soldiers were deployed to help stricken residents, while homeowners used makeshift rafts and tyres to help them transport electrical and valuable goods from their properties.

Rammasun, known locally as “Glenda,” was the strongest typhoon to hit China’s south in four decades, resulting in 608,000 being evacuated, reports Xinhua News Agency.

In China, the island province of Hainan suffered the most destruction with 51,000 houses and 100,000 acres of crops wiped out. It also caused £1billion worth of damage in that region alone.

(Rubber trees are destroyed by the typhoon in Wenchang Hainan Province in China)

Nasa said that the typhoon brought with it winds of 100 knots (115mph) at the time of landfall on the China/Vietnam border early Saturday.

The China Meteorological Agency issued a red warning – its highest – as it approached.

Nasa said it is expected to “dissipate over land in the next couple of days.”

In addition to the typhoon, northern Vietnam was struck by three earthquakes on Saturday, with more thought to be on the way.

The first quake measured 4.3 on the Richter scale, Vietnam News said, followed by two smaller ones.