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Typhoon Nari slams into Vietnam, kicks up high waves in China

Wednesday, October 16, 2013, 9:17 AM -

Typhoon Nari hit the coast of Vietnam early Tuesday morning causing heavy rain and high winds across the central region. 

Initial reports show the storm brought down trees, swept off roofs and broke windows in high-rise buildings. It submerged thousands of houses and hectares of rice and subsidiary crops. 

At least six people were killed and seven others were missing in, the National Floods and Storms Control Department said. About 12,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in seven central provinces, it said.

RELATED: Vietnam evacuates up to 180,000 people ahead of Typhoon Nari, which killed 13 in Philippines

Many roads in Tam Ky and Hoi an towns were left deep under water. Flash floods triggered by the typhoon killed three people and left two others missing in Quang Binh province, provincial disaster official Ngo Duc Song said. 

The floods submerged 10,000 homes in the province, many of them up to 2 metres under water, and left four villages isolated, he said. 

Water levels of the Huong River in Hue City spilled over into residential areas, forcing the police to install warning barriers. 

In Danang, initial reports show that at least 11 local residents were injured. 

The storm weakened to a tropical depression after making landfall in Vietnam.

China 

South China's island province of Hainan issued a red alert ahead of Typhoon Nari on Monday. 

The storm kicked up waves as high was 6 to 7 metres in Xisha Islands. With a cold front coming from the north meeting the typhoon on Tuesday, torrential rain will continue to batter the Hainan Island over the next few days, according to Chen Hong, the Chief Forecaster of Hainan Meteorological Service.

With files from CNN and The Associated Press