>>> Storm Damrey makes landfall in south central coast
>>> Deputy PM urges measures to ensure safety of life and property against Typhoon Damrey
>>> Storm Damrey heads straight towards South Central Coast
Preliminary statistics from the Standing Office of the Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control show that, as of 5.30 pm yesterday, the storm brought down many trees and billboards in big cities in the region, while causing landslides in many roads and widespread power outages in Phu Yen, Binh Dinh and Khanh Hoa provinces only after more than five hours of wreaking havoc in the region.
Currently, crippled trees still block roads and railway traffic, many areas are flooded and many fishing vessels are not yet in contact.
A cargo ship displaced from an anchored area by strong waves to approach the coast of Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh province. (Credit: NDO)
The storm, after making landfall in Vietnam, has been downgraded into a tropical low depression in Cambodia, but is still causing heavy rains for provinces from Ha Tinh to Binh Dinh, as well as localities in the north central region, the Central Highlands and the south eastern region, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
The agency also delivered a flood warning on the rivers from Ha Tinh to Binh Thuan, in the Central Highlands and Dong Nai River system, while flash floods and landslides are warned in mountainous areas, river banks and lowland areas from Thua Thien-Hue to Khanh Hoa and the northern part of the Central Highlands.
Vietnam’s airlines continued adjusting their flights from and to several central localities on November 4 after the storm made landfall.
Congestion at Cam Ranh airport as planes were unable to take off.
Specifically, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines cancelled 14 flights between Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and Quy Nhon, between Ho Chi Minh City/Da Nang and Buon Ma Thuot, between Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat, and between Hanoi and Chu Lai. Vietnam Airlines plans to reschedule the flights on November 5.
To ensure safety for passengers, low-cost carrier Vietjet Air also called off 22 flights from and to airports in the central region, including Da Nang, Chu Lai, Quy Nhon, Tuy Hoa, Cam Ranh and Da Lat. Jetstar Pacific also announced that it will stop operating 12 flights as of yesterday and will support free transfers to the next flights.
The airlines advised passengers to visit their official websites or call the customer service centres for updated information.
The same day, Vietnam Railway Corporation said that the storm has paralysed the north-south railway through Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen and Binh Dinh, as landslides occurred while trees and railway signal systems were damaged and fell down onto the railways. Seven trains had to stop with nearly 1,550 passengers affected. The corporation also abandoned and converted several trains on the route to serve customers.
Landslide on railway system in Phu Yen.
The Prime Minister on Saturday issued a telegraph urging for facilitation of search and rescue for crew members and fishermen missing during the storm in the central region, along with actively working to limit the damage after the storm.
In Da Nang, downed trees and billboards had been cleared to ensure traffic safety ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders' Week next week. Yesterday evening, Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Huynh Duc Tho sent a letter calling on local people to join hands to clean up the environment after the typhoon to welcome APEC event hosted by the city from November 6-11.
Boards broken down by strong winds from Damrey in Da Nang.
In Quang Ngai, during the past two days, heavy rains caused large floods in many areas, inundating many houses in low lying areas in Mo Duc, Duc Pho, Tu Nghia and Nghia Hanh districts. On Ly Son Island, aquacultural cages were severely damaged at an estimated cost of VND45 billion.
About 20 houses and 11 classrooms in Dak Glong and Krong No districts in Dak Nong province were damages, along with 10ha of pepper and 50ha of rubber trees in Nam N 'dir and Duc Xuyen communes of Krong No also collapsed.
Pepper gardens in M'Drak district, Dak Lak province suffered heavy damage after the storm.
Lam Dong province had reported three people dead, 70 houses collapsed, and hundreds of ha of crops flooded and damaged. Since yesterday afternoon, local hydropower reservoirs discharged flood water, leading to the risk of additional flooding in some areas.
A tree unrooted in Da Lat city.
The storm unroofed and damaged nearly 24,000 houses.
Households living along the Tra Khuc River in Quang Ngai province are flooded.
A series of boats sank in Dong Hoa district (Phu Yen province).
Damage caused by the storm in Phuoc Thinh Primary School, Nha Trang city.
