Tropical Storm Kujira: Flash Floods Kill 7 In Northern Vietnam, Search For 4 Missing Underway

Seven people were killed in flash floods triggered by a tropical storm that made landfall in northern Vietnam on Wednesday, an official said Thursday, according to the Associated Press. Tropical Storm Kujira has dumped nearly 8 inches of rain in the northern region over the past two days affecting hundreds of people.

A search operation is reportedly underway for four people, including a 4-year-old boy who went missing after his house was washed away, in Son La province, disaster official Tran Viet Phuong said, adding that over 20 homes were washed away in the flash floods.

Tropical Storm Kujira weakened to a tropical depression late Wednesday afternoon with its center inland in an area located between Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. It later weakened into a tropical low pressure late Wednesday night.

Over 8,000 vessels safely returned to shore after Nguyen Hong Dien, chairman of Thai Binh province people's committee, reportedly told local authorities to direct all vessels and workers at the port to return to land. Authorities also ordered people to leave landslide-prone areas for safer places as heavy rains continued to threaten the region.

Typhoon Kujira hit Hainan Island in China on Monday, before making landfall in Vietnam on Wednesday. In China, Kujira affected millions of people and destroyed thousands of homes.