PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at a meeting to discuss ways to cope with the Storm Tembin in Hanoi on December 24. Photo by Dtinews
The storms which had swept through the Philippines and killed at least 200 people there, is expected to hit Vietnamese provinces from Ba Ria-Vung Tau to Ca Mau with wind speed of 100km/h this evening.
The typhoon has already ravaged the Truong Sa archipelago since Sunday afternoon, with wind speeds over 130kph.
Chairing a teleconference in Hanoi on December 24, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered local authorities to evacuate residents to safe places, mobilise police, army and youth forces to assist in reinforcing houses, and ensure the safety of oil rigs at sea.
He asked the localities forecast to be hit by Tembin to instruct farmers to harvest crops soon to minimise losses and suspend all unnecessary meetings to focus on bracing for the typhoon.
Military officers in Truong Sa archipelago rescued a fisherman who was injured when taking his boat to the island on December 24
Coastal provinces from Khanh Hoa to Kien Giang have issued offshore fishing ban while Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, and Kien Giang are preparing mass evacuation plans.
Children and elderly people in Bac Lieu Province were evacuated on December 24
Some 80,000 households in Bac Lieu, 8,000 in Ca Mau, 3,000 in Ben Tre provinces and 1,800 in Ho Chi Minh City have also been moved to safe place.
Most schools have announced to close until December 26.
Official statistics show flooding and storms left 390 people dead or missing in Vietnam in the first 11 months of 2017, and caused damage worth around US$2.34 billion.
