Typhoon Mekkhala leaves three dead in Vietnam

Hanoi_(dpa) _ Tropical Storm Mekkhala swept through central Vietnam on Tuesday, killing three people and leaving 14 missing and 13 injured, the National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control said Wednesday.

The storm arrived as residents of northern Vietnam were still cleaning up the aftermath of a typhoon that killed 42 people last week and caused damage estimated at nearly 69 million dollars.

Mekkhala, packing winds of 88 kilometres per hour, blew tin roofs off houses and caused power blackouts in the central province of Quang Binh.

Disaster officials said Wednesday that the storm knocked down trees and electricity poles and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

Over 6,000 homes were damaged and 38 fishing trawlers were sunk. The total value of the damage was estimated at 6.6 million dollars.

Vietnam is prone to floods and storms that kill hundreds of people each year.

Vietnam's national weather forecast centre said Wednesday that a new tropical storm, Higos, was on its way towards Vietnam.

Higos struck the Philippines on September 30 with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph, forcing the cancellation of several passenger flights and stranding over 3,000 ferry passengers in ports in the storm-affected area.

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