Storm Trami Lands in Vietnam Posing Flood Risks, Toll Rises in Philippines

A flock of ducks sit atop a roof of a submerged house brought about from Tropical Storm Trami in Bula town, Camarines Sur province, South of Manila on October 26, 2024. (AFP)
A flock of ducks sit atop a roof of a submerged house brought about from Tropical Storm Trami in Bula town, Camarines Sur province, South of Manila on October 26, 2024. (AFP)
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Storm Trami Lands in Vietnam Posing Flood Risks, Toll Rises in Philippines

A flock of ducks sit atop a roof of a submerged house brought about from Tropical Storm Trami in Bula town, Camarines Sur province, South of Manila on October 26, 2024. (AFP)
A flock of ducks sit atop a roof of a submerged house brought about from Tropical Storm Trami in Bula town, Camarines Sur province, South of Manila on October 26, 2024. (AFP)

Storm Trami hit central Vietnam on Sunday, threatening to trigger heavy rains and dangerous floods after leaving a path of destruction in the Philippines.

The Southeast Asian country, with its extended coastline, is prone to storms and floods that often cause significant casualties and property damage.

Rainfall in several parts of provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Nam is forecast to reach 60 cm (23.6 inches) on Sunday and Monday, according to the national weather forecast agency.

"The risks of floods are high in urban areas from Ha Tinh to Binh Dinh provinces," the agency said.

Heavy rains are also expected to hit the Central Highlands, the country's key coffee growing area, according to the agency.

After sweeping across the Philippines' main Luzon island, Trami left large areas submerged under floodwaters, making rescue and relief operations difficult as Manila braces for the impact of incoming storm Kong-rey.

The storm hit the Philippines on Thursday, causing floods and landslides that have left 90 people dead as of Sunday, up from 46 deaths reported on Friday, the disaster agency said.

Ariel Nepomuceno, head of the Office of Civil Defense, said many of these reported deaths were still being validated to confirm the cause of death was directly related to the storm.

Food, water, hygiene and medical supplies are sufficient, however, extensive flooding was hindering relief efforts, with many areas accessible only by boats, Nepomuceno said.

Trami, with wind speeds of up to 88 kph (54.7 mph), made landfall in Hue and Danang. Maximum wind speeds have since weakened to 74 kph (46 mph).

The storm has forced four airports in central Vietnam to temporarily close, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Among them, the international airport in Danang City will be closed from 6:00 a.m. on Sunday until 4:00 a.m. on Monday.

State media reports said Trami's strong winds downed trees and advertisement boards in Danang.

Last month, typhoon Yagi and the floods it triggered killed more than 300 people and caused property damage of more than $3.3 billion in northern Vietnam.



Lawyer: South Korea's Yoon to Accept Court Decision Even if it Ends Presidency

Yoon Kab-keun, lawyer for South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, attends a press conference in Seoul on January 9, 2025. (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)
Yoon Kab-keun, lawyer for South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, attends a press conference in Seoul on January 9, 2025. (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)
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Lawyer: South Korea's Yoon to Accept Court Decision Even if it Ends Presidency

Yoon Kab-keun, lawyer for South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, attends a press conference in Seoul on January 9, 2025. (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)
Yoon Kab-keun, lawyer for South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, attends a press conference in Seoul on January 9, 2025. (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will accept the decision of the Constitutional Court that is trying parliament's impeachment case against him, even if it decides to remove the suspended leader from office, his lawyer said on Thursday.
"So if the decision is 'removal', it cannot but be accepted," Yoon Kab-keun, the lawyer for Yoon, told a news conference, when asked if Yoon would accept whatever the outcome of trial was.
Yoon has earlier defied the court's requests to submit legal briefs before the court began its hearing on Dec. 27, but his lawyers have said he was willing to appear in person to argue his case.
The suspended president has defied repeated summons in a separate criminal investigation into allegations he masterminded insurrection with his Dec. 3 martial law bid.
Yoon, the lawyer, said the president is currently at his official residence and appeared healthy, amid speculation over the suspended leader's whereabouts.
Presidential security guards resisted an initial effort to arrest Yoon last week though he faces another attempt after a top investigator vowed to do whatever it takes to break a security blockade and take in the embattled leader.
Seok Dong-hyeon, another lawyer advising Yoon, said Yoon viewed the attempts to arrest him as politically motivated and aimed at humiliating him by bringing him out in public wearing handcuffs.