Storm kills 3, sinks 200 boats in south

HA NOI — The first tropical low pressure of the year killed at least three people and sunk more than 200 boats in Binh Thuan Province after hitting the southern central region, according to the province’s Steering Committee of Flood and Storms Prevention and Control.

The initial cost of the tropical low pressure damage is estimated at nearly VND6 billion (US$263,000).

The three people killed were all fishermen who died after being swept away by high waves.

The tropical low also destroyed hundreds of hectares of rice and vegetables and dozens of houses in the province

Hundreds of tourists have been stranded in Binh Thuan Province’s Phu Quy Island for 10 days because the island has been isolated by rough seas.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said that the weakening tropical low caused heavy rains and rough seas and was coupled with a strong 39 km/h wind in the central provinces from Binh Thuan to Soc Trang, endangering offshore shipping.

Heavy rains and strong winds caused serious floods and power cuts in Lam Dong Province. Thousands of students in the province were sent home from school.

In the provinces of Ben Tre and Tra Vinh and Can Tho City, thousands of hectares of salt fields coupled with hundreds of hectares of farm produce were destroyed, causing billions of dong in losses.

In HCM City, due to prolonged rain, more than 800 children received health checks and treatment in the Children’s hospitals No1 and 2 on Wednesday for diarrhoea and respiratory problems.

Le Thi Xuan Lan, Southern Hydro-meteorology Forecasting Bureau deputy director, said that the first tropical low pressure was unusual because it had appeared several months earlier than previously, and had converged just south of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago instead of weakening before hitting the coast. It resulted in heavy rains in central and southern provinces.

Le Thanh Hai, deputy director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said that the tropical low was a signal for a stormy rainy season.

Lan said northern area would continue to suffer from droughts until March, but the central and provinces were forecast to expect heavy rain and temperatures to below 14 degree Celsius. — VNS