People in northern, central regions evacuated as Storm Nangka strikes

Hanoi (VNA) - Localities have been urged to quickly evacuate people from coastal areas, call on vessels at sea to seek shelter, and take coercive measures where necessary to brace for Storm Nangka, which is forecast to hit the northern and central regions on the afternoon of October 14.

A report of the Border Guard High Command delivered to a meeting at the Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control on October 14 shows that as of 6 am, 31,096 ships with 115,607 people on board had been guided out of dangerous areas. There are currently 330 vessels with 700 people on board operating in the waters of northern Quang Ninh province. In the morning of the 14th, the provincial Board Guard resolutely requested these vessels come ashore to ensure safety.

Director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Mai Van Khiem, said Storm Nangka - the seventh in the East Sea since the beginning of this year - entered the Gulf of Tonkin early on October 14 and is predicted to make landfall in provinces from Thai Binh south to Nghe An in the afternoon.

Hai Phong city and the northern and north-central coastal provinces of Quang Ninh, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An have banned all sea-related activities from October 13.

Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An have plans to evacuate over 150,000 local people before the storm makes landfall.

As of 11 pm on October 13, severe flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the central region had killed 36 people, excluding deaths reported at the Rao Trang 3 hydro power plant pending confirmation. A total of 585 houses were damaged and 135,731 others submerged./.