The most read Vietnamese newspaper
Edition: International | Vietnamese
© Copyright 1997 VnExpress.net. All rights reserved.
Border guards in Co To Island of Quang Ninh Province visited local residents on Friday to instruct them to secure their houses and boats. The island is forecast to be one of the first places in Vietnam to be hit by super typhoon Yagi on Saturday.
Video by VnExpress/Thu Bau, Le Tan
Hanoi Railway Transport JSC on Friday announced to suspend several trains between Hanoi and Hai Phong on Saturday and Sunday, and between Hanoi and Vinh on Saturday to avoid impacts from Yagi.
The north-south trains heading from Hanoi on Monday and Tuesday, and those heading from HCMC on Wednesday and Thursday next week have also been suspended.
Military dispatches over 450,000 to combat super typhoon Yagi
A total of 457,460 military personnel including 99,100 soldiers, 318,900 militiamen and 39,370 members of the reserve force, along with more than 10,100 vehicles have been deployed to combat super typhoon Yagi.
Teams from the electricity, coal, and mineral sectors, as well as road management authorities, have been dispatched to local areas for inspection and support.
Hanoi ready to evacuate residents from old apartment buildings
The Ba Dinh District People's Committee in Hanoi downtown has directed Giang Vo, Thanh Cong, Ngoc Khanh, Cong Vi, and Kim Ma wards to prepare plans to evacuate residents and their belongings from the hazardous C8 Giang Vo building, G6A Thanh Cong building, A Ngoc Khanh building, the Ministry of Justice Complex, and the 148-150 Son Tay building in the event of an emergency.
Phuc Xa Ward located outside the Red River dyke is closely monitoring flood conditions on the Red River and will issue timely evacuation alerts to residents. Plans are also in place to ensure the safety of those in vulnerable areas, including riverbanks, low-lying regions, and landslide-prone zones. Additionally, businesses operating recreational activities on Thu Le Lake and Truc Bach Lake are temporarily halting inland waterway activities and securing vessels to ensure public safety.
The pork and vegetable stalls at the Winmart supermarket on Tran Dang Ninh Street of Hanoi’s Cau Giay District were crowded at 10 a.m. Friday as people stocked up food ahead of the super typhoon.
Over three hours, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., supermarket employees restocked goods five times.
Phan Thi Hoai Thuong, director of Winmart Thang Long, said demands for food on Friday morning increased by 350% compared to other days. "We predict that demand will increase during stormy days, but we did not expect it to be so high," she said.
On Thursday night, the supermarket closed at 11 p.m., an hour later than usual, as people rushed in to stockpile on food. They had been lining up before the cashier’s counters from 7:30 a.m. Friday, and two extra counters had to be added to receive all the requests.
 |
|
A vegetable counter at Winmart Thang Long supermarket is almost empty on Sept. 6, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Hong Chieu |
People in Hai Phong also rushed towards supermarkets and wet markets on Friday morning to stock up on food before Yagi arrives. At the Co Dao market in Le Chan District, stalls selling pork were all crowded.
"Normally it takes me until 11 a.m. to sell all pieces from a 80-kg pig, but this morning they were gone by 7:30 a.m. There were some bones left for restaurants, but some people already wanted to buy them," said Tran Ngan, owner of a butcher's stall.
People said they were stockpiling food for 2-3 days in case super typhoon Yagi causes inundations. They also purchased gas stoves and lamps with batteries in case water supply gets cut and blackouts happen.
 |
|
Crowds gather at the Intimex supermarket in Hai Phong as people stock up on food ahead of super typhoon Yagi, Sept. 6, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tan |
Gales at Co To Island off Quang Ninh Province, one of the first places in Vietnam to be hit by Yagi, can potentially sink even large ships. Starting Friday night, when Yagi enters the Gulf of Tonkin, the super typhoon will trigger very strong winds and rough seas.
People on the island started to clean up tourist tents on Friday morning after tourists left the island.
 |
|
Tents are dismantled in Co To. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tan |
 |
|
People make preparations for super typhoon Yagi. |
 |
|
Soldiers secure an iron roof at their base in Bach Long Vi Island of Hai Phong. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tan |
The eastern regions of northern Vietnam and north-central Thanh Hoa Province are expected to receive 100-300 mm of rain between Friday night and Saturday night, with some areas receiving over 400 mm.
The northwestern region will experience 70-150 mm of rain on Saturday, with some areas seeing over 200 mm. On Sunday, moderate rainfall of 20-60 mm is expected in northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa, with some areas receiving over 90 mm. However, the northwestern region will experience heavier rainfall of 50-150 mm, with some places seeing over 250 mm.
According to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, from Sept. 7 to 10, rivers in northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa are likely to experience flooding, with water levels rising by 2-6 meters.
There is a high risk of flooding in low-lying areas along rivers, as well as flash floods and landslides on steep slopes in the mountainous regions. Additionally, there is a risk of flooding in cities and lowland areas of the northern delta, particularly in the provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Yen Bai, Bac Kan, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, and Hanoi.
Four airports in northern Vietnam, Noi Bai in Hanoi, Van Don in Quang Ninh, Cat Bi in Hai Phong and Tho Xuan in Thanh Hoa will suspend services during certain hours on Saturday.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam estimated that around 240 domestic flights and 70 international flights will be canceled as a result.
Heavy rains brought by the storm might cause flooding in certain airports such as Dien Bien and Vinh, affecting flight schedule further.
Vietjet Air has announced to cancel 67 flights to and from Noi Bai on Saturday, eight flights to and from Cat Bi, and four flights to and from Tho Xuan. Many other flights will be delayed.
According to the Northern Delta and Midlands Meteorological and Hydrological Station, Hanoi will experience heavy rain and thunderstorms from Saturday to Monday.
In the districts of Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, Dong Da, Long Bien, Tay Ho, Cau Giay, Hoang Mai, Thanh Xuan, Ha Dong, Bac Tu Liem, Nam Tu Liem, and the rural districts of Gia Lam, Hoai Duc, Dan Phuong, Thanh Tri, Thuong Tin, Thanh Oai, Thach That, Quoc Oai, Dong Anh, Soc Son, and Me Linh, rainfall is expected to reach 200-300 mm, with some areas exceeding 400 mm.
In Son Tay town and the districts of Phuc Tho, Chuong My, Ba Vi, My Duc, Ung Hoa, and Phu Xuyen, rainfall is expected to range from 150-250 mm, with some areas exceeding 350 mm.
Rising river levels will increase the risk of landslides and flooding in low-lying areas, riverbanks, and islands within rivers, posing a threat to the safety of dikes along the Da, Hong, Duong, Day, Bui, Tich, and Ca Lo rivers, as well as low-lying areas and riverbanks in some parts of Chuong My, Quoc Oai, Thach That, Dong Anh, Soc Son districts, and Long Bien and Ha Dong districts.
According to the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Ninh Binh Province was the first to issue a sea ban starting at 3:00 p.m. Thursday.
 |
|
A crane brings a fishing boat to shore in Bach Long Vi Island in Hai Phong on Sept. 4, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tan |
Thai Binh, Nghe An, and Nam Dinh provinces followed suit between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Friday.
Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, where the typhoon is expected to make landfall, imposed the ban from 11:00 a.m., while Thanh Hoa is expected to enforce the ban at noon. During the ban period, all boats are prohibited from departing, except for rescue and emergency response vessels.
In addition to the sea ban, coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Quang Ngai are calling for and guiding boats to safe shelters or out of the typhoon's path. According to the Border Guard Command, as of 6:30 a.m. Friday, the forces have accounted for and guided 51,319 boats with over 219,900 people to safe shelters. Among them, 458 boats were sailing in the Gulf of Tonkin, an area expected to experience strong winds of 118-133 kph when hit by the typhoon Friday night.
