Storm Kalmaegi wipes out Vietnamese fishing village

By Friday morning, dozens of villagers were sifting through piles of debris where their houses once stood.

Kalmaegi had unleashed record rains and flooding in the central Philippines this week, sweeping away cars, trucks, and shipping containers before lashing central Vietnam late on Thursday.

Its powerful waves, reportedly rising up to eight meters, and strong winds flattened nearly every seaside home in Xuan Thanh fishing village.

Some houses were reduced to little more than a set of concrete steps.

“I locked the door tight before leaving to take shelter," said Ho Thi Nhung, sitting motionless on what remained of her home.

“This morning, I came back and my house had vanished — swallowed by the sea.

“All I have left is this staircase.

“I don’t know where my family will live now or how we’ll rebuild.”

Another villager, Ho Thi So, said she had lived through countless storms but had never seen destruction on this scale.

“In the middle of the night, people shouted that the waves had taken down the houses,” she said, her voice shaking.

“I came back and everything was gone — just rubble and the bare ground where my home used to be.”

Tran Dinh Mai, another resident, said all the villagers were evacuated to community shelters before the storm hit.

“The waves rose nearly eight meters and tore away the entire row of seaside houses,” he said.

“Then the strong winds ripped off what little remained of the roofs.”

Local authorities have mobilized police and soldiers to help residents clean up and assess damage.

Emergency aid is being prepared for affected families.

Lam Hai Giang, deputy chairman of the Gia Lai People’s Committee, said officials were still tallying losses as of Friday afternoon.

The damaged homes, he added, were in a coastal zone already designated for relocation because of recurring tidal surges.

“The province will provide temporary support and develop a long-term plan to help families rebuild and stabilize their lives,” Giang said.