LookAtVietnam – Typhoon Ketsana, the ninth tropical storm this year, is poised to bring heavy rains and high winds to the Hue city-Danang area on 29 September (Tuesday).

Dam C17 in Minh Hiep commune in central Nghe An province burst after prolonged rain on Thursday. The break was one metre deep and three metres wide.

Within 24 hours, the storm will continue to move west-northwest at 10-15km per hour.

At 4pm tomorrow, the storm’s eye will be at a latitude of 16.7 degrees north and a longitude of 108.4 degrees east, 60km from the central coastal area from Quang Tri province to Da Nang city. Wind speeds are likely to reach 118km per hour to 149 km per hour.

The committee urged provinces, cities and sectors to strictly comply with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s order, which stated that the local People’s Committees must co-operate with border guards to inform ships’ crews with the position of the storm.

The Prime Minister also required the committees to actively move people out of dangerous areas that are at risk of flash floods and landslides. He also asked the committees to help stockpile cooking, medicines and other necessities in case of an emergency.

Northern provinces in the next two or three days must temporarily cancel unnecessary meetings and farmers have been prompted to harvest rice quickly to avoid crop losses.

Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Defence, Public Security, Sports, Culture and Tourism, and Transport and other relevant agencies must help farmers harvest, ensure the safety of visitors, maintain information provisions, ensure smooth transportation, and help any potential victims to the best of their ability.

At an urgent conference in Ha Noi on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai instructed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting to a keep close eye on the storm and inform people about developments in a timely manner.

Based on the developments localities must advise ships on safety and must take measures to ensure the safety of anchored ships, goods and equipment at the ports.

From September 23 to 25, heavy rains and floods in the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri resulted in 23 deaths, the loss of more than 2,400ha of crop and the damage of 23 ships.

The Ministry of Health yesterday also required health departments in cities and provinces to take measures to protect patients, medical staff and equipment in areas prone to floods and landslides.

During emergencies, individuals must prepare to provide emergency aid to victims. Health departments must supplement reserved medicines, chemicals and equipment in localities and can ask for more support from the ministry via fax number 04 62732207 and telephone number 0948125599.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News