At least two people died and 66 boats sunk in the central province of Binh Thuan during a tropical depression Wednesday, a rarity in Vietnam this time of year, the provincial weather agency reported.

Heavy rains triggered by the depression also destroyed nearly 1,000 hectares of rice in Phu Yen Province, and a 100-meter bridge in the central town of Nha Trang, affecting nearly 5,000 local people.

It brought heavy rains that soaked the central and southern coasts.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) said although the depression weakened after landing on Wednesday afternoon, it would cause cold winds and rains in northern and central provinces.

In a recent interview with Thanh Nien, Le Thi Xuan Lan from the Southern Hydrometeorology Station said tropical depressions and storms arising in January and February had been recorded in the past, but they were extremely rare.

However, in recent years more depressions were recorded in January, which was strange, said to Lan, who attributed the volatile patters to climate change.

Local and international scientists said Vietnam was one of the nations most vulnerable to climate change. It ranked third among countries worst hit by extreme weather events in 2008, according to a study by NGO Germanwatch released in December.

In the meantime, Phu Yen coast guards reported that a boat carrying eight local fisherman was submerged by a Panamanian boat after a crash on the same day. No casualties were reported after the foreign vessel, the Golden Orient, managed to rescue the fishermen.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre