Typhoon Kai-Tak kills 9 in Vietnam

DA NANG, Vietnam, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Typhoon Kai-Tak has killed at least nine people in coastal provinces of central Vietnam, including a third-grade schoolgirl.

The storm forced Chinese President Hu Jintao to cancel a visit to the city of Da Nang, the BBC reported Wednesday.

About 18,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, most from Quang Ngai province, as rivers swollen by heavy rains continued to rise.

VietNamNet Bridge reported Wednesday that provincial officials issued alerts for flash floods and landslides, as well as for high tides that were expected to rise by 2 to 3 meters.

Average rainfall in the region Tuesday was between 8 and 10 inches. In Tra Bong district, however, rainfall was reported to be nearly 16 inches. In the Tay Tra mountain district more than 10 landslides were reported, cutting off traffic on the only route linking the district with the provincial center.

Two thousand soldiers were dispatched to storm-affected areas with rescue boats and trucks to help evacuate residents.

The Nhan Dan newspaper reported that in Thua Thien Hue province, floods washed away a third-grade schoolgirl.

The typhoon follows heavy rains that caused about 30 deaths in the last two weeks, and Typhoon Damrey, which killed 60 Vietnamese in September.