Devastating Impact: Typhoon Kalmaegi Kills 5 in Vietnam with Extreme Winds and Flooding

Vietnamese officials continued damage assessment on Friday morning following Typhoon Kalmaegi's devastating impact across the country.

After causing extensive destruction in the Philippines, Typhoon Kalmaegi unleashed powerful winds and heavy rainfall across Vietnam, resulting in five fatalities and multiple missing persons following house collapses in Gia Lai and neighboring Dak Lak provinces. The typhoon ranks among Vietnam's most powerful on record, with wind speeds reaching 149 km/h and persistent rain battering regions already struggling with flooding.

By Friday morning, Vietnam's environment ministry documented 57 completely collapsed houses and approximately 2,600 structures damaged or de-roofed, with over 2,400 of these in Gia Lai province alone.

State media reported five casualties – three in Dak Lak and two in Gia Lai provinces – while search operations continued for three missing individuals in Quang Ngai.

Kalmaegi Typhoon, with winds reaching 148 km/h, brought Vietnam to a virtual standstill.

Social media platforms featured numerous videos displaying the storm's destructive force. One recording showed powerful winds forcing a motorcyclist to abandon his vehicle and seek protection against a wall as strong gusts threatened to sweep him away.

Another video documented seawater inundating homes in Binh Dinh Province, with water reaching levels unseen in a decade.

Widespread reports emerged of uprooted trees, damaged electrical infrastructure, and flattened buildings as Kalmaegi weakened to tropical storm status before moving into Cambodia on Friday.

Footage also captured severe winds shattering glass windows and tearing roofs from houses.

Prior to striking Vietnam, Kalmaegi had made landfall in the Philippines, claiming 188 lives with 135 individuals still missing. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a national emergency on Thursday as the country prepared for another potential disaster – Typhoon Fung-wong, locally designated as Uwan.

Weather authorities warned that Fung-wong could expand to approximately 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) in diameter before making landfall late Sunday or early Monday in northern Aurora province, potentially affecting Manila's densely populated metropolitan area.

The Office of Civil Defence reported that Kalmaegi displaced over half a million people in the Philippines. Nearly 450,000 were evacuated to shelters, with more than 318,000 still seeking refuge as of Thursday.

Climate scientists caution that global warming is intensifying storm systems and precipitation patterns across Southeast Asia, making typhoons and flooding increasingly destructive and frequent.