Tran Xuan Anh, secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of the Con Co special zone, reported that as of 5 p.m. today, residents and armed forces were transported from their homes to shelters using 12 electric vehicles and several trucks. "The special zone has prepared adequate food, water, and essential supplies for the duration of the storm," he said.

Residents board electric vehicles to evacuate to shelters. Photo: *Anh Xuan*

According to Con Co leadership, sheltering is the quickest, most convenient, and safest option in the face of strong winds and high waves, which make long walks or travel by rudimentary means impossible.

"Currently, there is no rain on the island, but the waves are high, and the winds are strong. Nine boats are safely anchored in the harbor, and the remaining vessels are being moved to sheltered locations. No boats are allowed to go out to sea," Anh said.

In response to Typhoon Kajiki, the Con Co special zone's Civil Defense Command held a meeting, implementing the "4 on-site" principle: on-site personnel, on-site equipment, on-site materials, and on-site logistics. Teams were assigned to trim trees, reinforce houses and warehouses, and move boats, machinery, and equipment to safe locations. Houses, public buildings, and essential infrastructure have been secured.

Con Co is a frontline island in the Quang Tri sea, covering approximately 2.3 square kilometers and located about 30 km offshore. The island has 19 households, with a total population of 439 people, including civilians and military personnel.

At 7 p.m. today, the typhoon's center was located approximately 410 km east-southeast of Nghe An, 390 km east-southeast of Ha Tinh, and 340 km east of northern Quang Tri. Maximum sustained winds reached level 14 (150-166 km/h), with gusts up to level 17. After about eight hours of moving north, the typhoon shifted westward at a speed of 15-20 km/h and has the potential to intensify further, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

At 7 a.m. tomorrow, the typhoon is forecast to be in the southern Gulf of Tonkin, about 200 km east-southeast of Nghe An, 180 km east-southeast of Ha Tinh, and 90 km northeast of northern Quang Tri, maintaining level 14 winds with gusts up to level 17. By 4 p.m., the typhoon is expected to make landfall in Nghe An - Ha Tinh, with maximum winds of level 14 and gusts of level 16-17.

Dac Thanh