Typhoon Kalmaegi Kills 5 in Vietnam After Devastating Philippines

After tearing through the Philippines with deadly force, Typhoon Kalmaegi unleashed powerful winds and torrential rain across central Vietnam, leaving at least five people dead, dozens missing, and thousands displaced. The storm, one of the strongest recorded in Vietnam’s history, hit the provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Lak, where houses collapsed, trees were uprooted, and power lines were destroyed.

According to local officials, three deaths were reported in Dak Lak and two in Gia Lai, while three others remain missing in Quang Ngai province. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed that 57 homes collapsed and nearly 2,600 others were damaged or had their roofs blown away, with Gia Lai accounting for most of the destruction.

Videos circulating on social media showed chaotic scenes from storm-hit areas — strong winds forcing residents to abandon their vehicles, seawater flooding homes in Binh Dinh Province, and roofs being ripped off buildings as Kalmaegi roared through the region. Witnesses described the experience as “terrifying,” with gusts reaching up to 149 km/h and rainfall submerging entire neighborhoods.

As of Friday morning, authorities continued to assess the full extent of the damage. Emergency teams were deployed to rescue stranded residents, while military units helped clear debris and restore communication lines. The typhoon has since weakened into a tropical storm as it moved into Cambodia, but the trail of devastation it left behind is immense.

Kalmaegi made its first landfall in the Philippines earlier this week, where it wreaked catastrophic havoc — killing at least 188 people, leaving 135 missing, and forcing over half a million people to evacuate their homes. The government declared a state of national emergency as rescue efforts continued amid fears of another approaching storm, Typhoon Fung-wong, expected to make landfall in the coming days.

Meteorologists warn that the intensifying pattern of tropical cyclones in the region is linked to global climate change. Warmer ocean temperatures are fueling stronger storms and heavier rainfall, making typhoons like Kalmaegi increasingly destructive and frequent across Southeast Asia.

Experts urge countries in the region to invest in stronger disaster preparedness systems, improve early warning infrastructure, and prioritize climate resilience policies to protect vulnerable coastal communities.

As cleanup operations continue in both Vietnam and the Philippines, families mourn their loved ones, rebuild shattered homes, and brace for the next wave of severe weather — a growing reminder of how climate change is transforming Asia’s storm landscape.