Vietnam braces for Typhoon Sarika as flood toll rises to 31

HANOI, Vietnam – Vietnam is bracing for Typhoon Sakira as the death toll from flooding in central part of the country triggered by heavy rains rose to 31.

The typhoon with sustained winds of 165 kph (103 mph) and gusts of up to 200 kph (124 mph) is moving toward northern Vietnam at 15 kilometers per hour (9 miles per hour), the national weather forecast center said Tuesday.

The government has urged ships and vessels to stay away from the typhoon path in the South China Sea and take shelter. It also urged local authorities to stand ready to evacuate people from high-risk areas.

Sarika, named after a singing bird in Cambodia, slammed northern Philippines on Sunday, killing two people and displacing 150,000.