Five dead, two missing in Typhoon Wutip in central Vietnam, farmlands flooded; reaches southern China

Five people died and two went missing after Typhoon Wutip lashed central Vietnam, the country’s agriculture ministry reported. The storm caused widespread flooding, submerging over 70,000 hectares (172,000 acres) of cropland.Three fatalities were recorded in Quang Tri province, and two more in Quang Binh, where two people are still unaccounted for.Wutip made landfall in southern China on Saturday with wind gusts reaching up to 128 km/h (80 mph) before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the Gulf of Tonkin.Ahead of the storm's arrival, authorities in China's Hainan province evacuated thousands of residents, closed schools, and suspended rail services.

Wutip is expected to weaken and dissipate by the end of the weekend, reported AFP citing the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.Vietnam’s agriculture ministry noted that natural disasters in the country are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. In 2024, disasters claimed 514 lives—three times more than in 2023.In September last year, Typhoon Yagi devastated northern Vietnam, killing 345 people and causing an estimated $3.3 billion in damages.