( RIA Novosti ) - Having killed five people in the Philippines at the weekend, the tropical typhoon Lekima hit the Vietnamese coast on Wednesday, claiming at least five lives, the country's emergencies service said.
The typhoon, named after a Vietnamese fruit, has reached the country's coastal provinces of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh late on Wednesday, bringing winds of more than 150 km/h ( 93 mph) and heavy rains.
More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from southern and central provinces, and 20,000 fishing boats have been recalled to harbor.
Strong winds have cut electricity supplies to the cities of Ha Tinh and Nghe An and damaged roads and dams. Hundreds of people have been stuck at airports after all flights to Da Nang, Hue and Vinh were cancelled.
Some 10 storms hit Vietnam each year, and Lekima is the fifth in 2007. Typhoon Krosa, which is now approaching China could be the sixth.