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Vietnam set to evacuate 1.3 million people as Typhoon Molave nears after lashing Philippines
- Molave is forecast to make landfall in central Vietnam on Wednesday, after leaving the Philippine island of Luzon
- The Vietnamese authorities have ordered troops to transport people with helicopters, tanks and other vehicles
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Reutersin Hanoi
Vietnam is preparing to evacuate some 1.3 million people as it braces for the impact of Typhoon Molave, which lashed the Philippines overnight causing flooding, landslides and leaving at least a dozen fishermen missing on Monday.
“This is a very strong typhoon that will impact a large area,” Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in an urgent warning to provinces and cities in Molave’s path to prepare.
Nguyen compared Molave to Typhoon Damrey, which killed more than 100 people in central Vietnam in 2017. He ordered boats ashore and told the security forces to get ready.
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“Troops must deploy full force to support people, including mobilising helicopters, tanks and other means of transportation if needed,” Nguyen said in a statement.
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Molave, with wind speeds of 125km/h and gusts of up to 150km/h, left the main Philippine island of Luzon earlier on Monday, with heavy rain causing seven landslides and floods in 11 areas, the disaster agency said.
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