Typhoon Damrey Toll Goes Up In Vietnam

Hanoi: The death toll due to massive flooding caused by typhoon Damrey in Vietnam has increased to 49 with 22 others reported missing, disaster management officials said on Tuesday.

In the provinces of Khan Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Phu Yen, nearly 80,000 houses were damaged and some 35,000 people were evacuated after the typhoon made landfall over the weekend. A Vietnam Disaster Management Authority official told CNN that his agency would post updated figures to their website later Tuesday, as authorities were still in the process of collecting information.

Floodwater and landslides have disrupted road and rail transport. The typhoon has hit the Southeast Asian country ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit the coastal city of Da Nang for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum as part of his two-week trip across the Asia-Pacific region. He will also travel to the capital, Hanoi, for an official state visit with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.

The APEC will see participation of some 10,000 delegates, 2,000 chief executive officers of leading firms in APEC economies, and 3,000 reporters.

IANS