Northern Vietnam struck by powerful storm

Channel NewsAsia 28 Jul 16;

HANOI: A powerful storm rolled across northern Vietnam on Thursday (Jul 28) killing one person, delaying flights and felling hundreds of trees in the capital Hanoi.

Tropical storm Mirinae, which barrelled across China's Hainan island before surging into Vietnam in the early hours of Thursday, brought high winds and more than 280 millimetres of rain as it pushed inland.

More than 32,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm which struck six provinces and cities across the north, authorities said.

In Hanoi, one person was killed and more than 500 trees were brought down, bringing widespread traffic delays. "Many trees have come down onto people's houses and cars," said Hanoi resident Tran Dai Thang.

Photos of the downed trees - an unusual politically touchy subject in Vietnam - spread across social media on Thursday.

Plans by city authorities to cut down many of the city's trees sparked protests last year and a rare u-turn by the government in a country where environmental destruction has fuelled public anger in the past.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said it had to delay more than twenty flights to and from Hanoi because of bad weather. Widespread powercuts were also reported in areas of Nam Dinh, Thai Binh and Ninh Binh provinces.

Vietnam is hit by an average of eight to 10 tropical storms every year, which often cause heavy material and human losses.

- AFP/ec