Bach Long Vi, the furthest offshore island in the Gulf of Tonkin, lies 110 km from the mainland and will be among the first to experience strong winds if the typhoon reaches Vietnam's coast. On this three-square-kilometer island, over 1,000 residents, primarily fishermen, are bracing for the storm.
Boats are further secured with ropes once brought ashore.
On Wednesday afternoon, as typhoon Yagi lay centered more than 700 km away from China's Hainan Island, soldiers were dispatched to help fishermen secure their boats.
The storm, which entered the East Sea on Tuesday, intensified into a super typhoon around noon on Thursday, with maximum sustained winds reaching 201 kph, becoming one of the most powerful typhoons in the region over the past decade.
Meteorological predictions indicate the typhoon will make landfall between Quang Ninh and Ninh Binh on Saturday.
Fishing boats in Bach Long Vi's harbor have been hauled ashore by excavators and secured with ropes. According to official data, 75 vessels with 98 workers have safely anchored in the harbor, 12 vessels have moved to the mainland, and 26 local vessels are en route to safe harbors.
Major Khuc Van Noi, a communication officer at the Bach Long Vi Border Guard Station, calls on offshore vessels to seek shelter via a radio system.
On Tran Island, an excavator brings a speedboat ashore as part of the storm preparations.
Tran Island, Quang Ninh's furthest offshore island, located 25 km from the coast, will be the first in the province to be impacted by Typhoon Yagi.
Nguyen Van Ngoc (L), Chairman of the Thanh Lan Commune People's Council, talks with men on a fishing boat, urging them to secure their boat and seek safety.
The authorities of Co To Island District, which includes Thanh Lan Island, have implemented strict management of fishing vessels and are notifying boats to find shelter before Friday. Rescue forces and equipment are on standby, ready for deployment if necessary.
The district's Department of Culture, Information, and Tourism has informed all tourists of the impending storm and advised them to reconsider their travel plans.
