23 dead as Typhoon Ketsana strikes Vietnam’s central coast

23 dead as Typhoon Ketsana strikes Vietnam

HANOI, Vietnam — Twenty-three people are dead in central Vietnam from Typhoon Ketsana.

Disaster officials have reported deaths in six provinces, including three in Quang Nam, where the storm made landfall around 2 p.m. It packed winds of up to 144 kilometers per hour (90 mph).

Disaster official Nguyen Van Vy said nine people died in Kon Tum province in the Central Highlands as the storm moved toward Laos.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Authorities in Vietnam have evacuated 170,000 people as Typhoon Ketsana bears down on the country’s central coast.

The storm killed 240 people in the Philippines. It is expected to make landfall in Vietnam later Tuesday afternoon somewhere between the city of Danang and Quang Nam province.

Disaster official Nguyen Van Vy says 170,000 people were evacuated from six central provinces by midday.

Rains and heavy winds began lashing the coast Tuesday morning.