WUTIP Hammers Central Vietnam

UPDATED at 06:00UTC

• Typhoon WUTIP has left dozens of people dead or injured in central Vietnam, as of posting.

• The storm has destroyed or damaged up to 100,000 homes, and much of the public infrastructure in central Vietnam. Large scale crop losses have also been reported.

• Powerful winds have destroyed national power lines, causing widespread power losses throughout the region and beyond.

• The worst affected areas are the central provinces of Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue.

• As of 1:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday (18:00UTC on Monday), Typhoon WUTIP had moved west to Laos , where it’s expected to weaken to a tropical depression, said a report.

Powerful Winds, Torrential Rains Pounding Central Vietnam as WUTIP Crosses the Country

High winds and heavy rains brought by Typhoon WUTIP are triggering flash floods in central Vietnam,  forcing the authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of people from several  provinces, while more flooding and landslides are expected to hit the region in the coming days.

Search continues for 74 missing in triple boat sinking

Meantime, search continues for 74 people missing after three fishing boats sank in the South China Sea on Sunday due to Typhoon WUTIP, said a report.

“The boats, all from south China’s Guangdong Province with 88 fishermen aboard, were lost on Sunday afternoon near Shanhu Island of the Xisha Islands, about 330 km from China’s island province of Hainan,” the report said.