Working with the task force unit for flood and storm control in Da Nang on Saturday afternoon, Mr Hung asked central coastal and Central Highlands provinces to quickly evacuate local people from high-risk areas to higher ground.

According to the Prime Minister’s urgent dispatch on Friday night, these provinces should have completed the evacuation by 17.00 on Saturday. However, the rescue work seemed slow going in several provinces, particularly in Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri provinces. Mr Hung asked these provinces to fulfil the task and report to him before 20.00 the same day.

Central provinces brace for the typhoon
In Da Nang city: Fishermen living along the Son Tra, Dien Ngoc, Lien Chieu and Thanh Khe sea embankments have reinforced their houses and got ready to more to safe areas with assistance from soldiers, militiamen and young volunteers. Local people living near the coast of Thanh Khe district have already evacuated to nearby concritised schools and offices where they were provided with enough food, medicines and drinking water.

In Quang Nam province: Six working groups have been established to deal with emergencies, with priority given to coastal areas and the Vu Gia-Thu Bon River system which is vulnerable to high tidal surges and flash floods. To date, Quang Nam has moved more than 20,000 local people and 555 tourists to safe places in Dien Ban, Duy Xuyen, Que Son, Thang Binh and Nui Thanh districts and Hoi An town. More than 1,000 vessels have been towed to 25 storm shelters in the province.   

The province has allocated nearly VND2 billion, 100 tonnes of food and many kits of medicines for lowland, highland and isolated areas such as Cham Islets in Hoi An town and Tam Hai commune in Nui Thanh district as a precaution against severe flooding and flash floods.

The provincial police, army and border guard forces have mobilised thousands of personnel to help local people reinforce houses and public works, evacuate them to safer places and ensure security and smooth traffic flows on the main roads.

Torrential rains began to pour into Thua Thien-Hue province at noon. By 17.00pm, about 10,000 households were already evacuated to safe places. The province has provided VND830 million in emergency aid to its districts and Hue city to cope with the typhoon. Local people have been asked to store food and other necessaries in case of emergency. The provincial police have been ordered to guide vessels to storm shelters.

In Phu Yen province: Provincial border guards have been working around the clock to contact nearly 100 vessels still out at sea. To date the province has received 70 tents, 1,500 life vests and 2,000 lifebuoys from the National Committee for Search and Rescue.        

In Quang Ngai province: Six working groups have been dispatched to high-risk areas to evacuate nearly 700 households to high ground.

Central Quang Binh province has also evacuated nearly 100 households living along the banks of the Don, Ranh and Ly Ha rivers to safer places.  

Soldiers, border guards and police forces in central Ha Tinh province have evacuated nearly 3,000 households living along the coastal districts of Nghi Xuan, Can Loc, Thach Ha, Cam Xuyen, Ky Anh and Ha Tinh town to safer areas.