Over 460,000 people in Vietnam urged to take shelter from Vamco typhoon

Over 460,000 people across six provinces from Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Hue, Danang, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai are set to move to safer ground ahead the landfall of typhoon Vamco.

Vamco is the third storm in November landing in Vietnam.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc early today issued an urgent instruction calling for local authorities to step up prevention measures against typhoon Vamco, which is reported to sustain wind of level 14 near its center, and gusts of level 17.

Vamco is predicted to directly impact coastal areas, the North and Central Region of Vietnam from now until November 15, stated the PM’s instruction.

The PM requested provinces to ban people from going to the sea and continue the evacuation process at high risk areas.

Forced evacuation should be under consideration, if necessary, to ensure people's safety, added the instruction.

Meanwhile, people living in islands such as Ly Son, Cu Lao Cham, Con Co are reinforcing houses and buildings to mitigate potential losses from the storm.

Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong in a meeting on November 13 said Vamco is very dangerous due to its strong intensity, unpredictability, associated heavy rainfall and would-be-affected areas having already struggled against severe consequences from previous storms.

Vamco is the third storm in November approaching Vietnam, following Etau making landfall in Khanh Hoa province on November 10 causing two deaths.

In October, Vietnam’s central region was hit by four storms, while three floods and 13 landslides also caused 159 deaths and 71 missing.