Scientists from the Institute of Global Physics on June 29 warned that Vietnam could probably be hit by a tsunami, thus the country needs to prepare itself for emergency scenarios.

Speaking at an online nationwide conference about tsunami and earthquake prevention measures, Nguyen Hong Phuong, deputy director of the Institute's Tsunami Warning and Earthquake Information Centre, said that so far, Vietnam had not any tsunami observation and measurement system created.

The institute has created 25 scenarios to prepare for tsunamis in Vietnam . The scenarios address regions that are prone to tsunamis, and take into consideration that risks and damage that can be caused by this natural calamity, Phuong said.

The institute also defined areas that are potentially at risk to experience an earthquake, which include the north-western mountainous provinces, the Ca river-valley in the central province of Nghe An and the offshore area in the south of the country, he said.

Vietnam had set up 24 earthquake observation centres nationwide, Phuong added.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said that to limit damage and ensure sustainable development and socio-economic planning, provinces that could potentially hit by tsunamis must be prepared for such events.

According to statistics, since 1914, Vietnam has been hit by 1,650 earthquakes, of which 95 percent occurred in Dien Bien Province./.