Vietnam plans mass evacuation, China's Sanya shuts as Typhoon intensifies

Vietnam plans to evacuate more than half a million people and has ordered boats to stay ashore, while the southern Chinese city of Sanya closed businesses and public transport on Sunday as the two countries braced for an intensifying Typhoon Kajiki.

The storm could make landfall along the southern coast of China's southern island province of Hainan from Sunday afternoon to evening, or skirt the southern coastline before heading toward Vietnam, China's National Meteorological Center said.

The storm, packing winds of up to 149 kph (93 mph), was about 500 km (300 miles) off Vietnam's central coast at 0600 GMT, moving west at 20 kph, according to Vietnam's national weather forecast agency.

It is likely to strengthen with wind speeds as high as 170 kph (110 mph), China's weather forecaster said.

Authorities in Vietnam plan to evacuate more than 586,000 people from the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue and Danang, where the typhoon is forecast to make landfall early on Monday, state media reported.

Seven coastal provinces in the Southeast Asian nation banned boats from leaving shore early on Sunday, Tien Phong newspaper reported.

Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines cancelled at least 22 flights to and from central cities on Sunday and Monday. Vietjet Aviation said it was cancelling or delaying flights but did not provide details.

China's Sanya, renowned for seafront resorts and sandy beaches, closed tourist attractions, shuttered businesses and suspended public transport.