Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuchas urged authorities and people of southern localities to keep a close watchon typhoon Tembin and must not be negligent as this is a particularly dangerousstorm accompanied by high tide.

Chairing a teleconference in Hanoi on December24, the Government leader ordered local authorities to evacuate residents tosafe places, mobilise police, army and youth forces to assist in reinforcinghouses, and ensure the safety of oil rigs at sea.

He asked the localities forecast to be hit byTembin to instruct farmers to harvest crops soon to minimise losses and suspendall unnecessary meetings to focus on bracing for the typhoon.

While authorised forces must stand ready forsearch and rescue, strong measures should be taken to deal with boats andpersons not complying with storm prevention plans, he added.

Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung said river bank andcoast erosion has already been severe in the areas where Tembin is predicted tomake landfall. Without prompt response measures, consequences would beimmeasurable.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentNguyen Xuan Cuong said Tembin, the 16th to hit the East Sea this year, has leftover 200 deaths and over 160 others missing in the Philippines. It is movingvery fast and forecast to hit the southern region, which rarely faces storms,and thus is inexperienced in dealing with natural disasters of this kind.


According to the National Centre forHydro-meteorological Forecasting, typhoon Tembin will lash Con Dao Island onDecember 25 afternoon and make landfall in the coastal area from Ba Ria – VungTau to Ca Mau provinces in the evening the same day, sustaining wind speed of118 – 133 km per hour.

The central committee for natural disaster preventionreported that more than 13,000 households in 9 provinces had been evacuated, schoolchildren were asked to stay at home while helicopters were mobilised to informships offshore about the storm.

So far, Con Dao island district of Ba Ria-VungTau province has called on all boats operating off its coast to take shelterwhile all tourists have been moved to safe places. It has also evacuated 1,530of 2,100 local residents.

Authorities of Tien Giang are also evacuatingabout 40,000 residents in vulnerable areas to safer places. Meanwhile, the PortAuthority of Can Tho city ordered suspending the operation of ports, wharves,and vessels.

By late December 24, Soc Trang had called on 668boats to move to the mainland and 167 others to take shelter in Con Dao Island.It also moved over 20,000 people to safe places on the day.

Coastal Dong Hai and Hoa Binh district and BacLieu city of Bac Lieu province reported that they have prepared enough shelterfor residents and will finish evacuating about 350,000 people, one-third of theprovince’s population, on December 25.

In Ben Tre province, more than 22,100 people arebeing moved and the work is set to be completed by noon of December 25.-VNA