Vietnam Airlines (VNA) and Jetstar Pacific have cancelled a total of 27 flights because the Vamco typhoon, the third typhoon this year, has entered the central parts of the country.

VNA said it would not release any flights to or from the central city of Da Nang between 2pm and 5pm today to ensure the safety of its passengers.

Earlier, VNA had cancelled four flights to and from Buon Ma Thuot City in the Central Highlands Province of Dak Lak and two flights to and from the central province of Quang Nam.

Jetstar Pacific said the weather in Buon Ma Thuot City this morning was bad, so a flight travelling from the northern port city of Hai Phong to Buon Ma Thuot City had to land at Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCM City, whereas another flight from HCM City to Buon Ma Thuot City had to come back to the Tan Son Nhat Airport to land. The passengers were given a stipend of VND250,000 (US$11) to help them travel to Buon Ma Thuot City.

Other flights will have to change their departure times as well.

Passengers can switch flights to tomorrow or return their tickets without incurring any fees. 

Vietnam braces for low pressure front

The National Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control yesterday issued a dispatch directing localities and ministries to deploy plans in response to a tropical low pressure front that is forecast to hit coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Binh Thuan.

Authorities have been instructed to inform ship owners about the location, direction and developments of the front.

The low pressure front needed careful monitoring along with the subsequent rains and floods, especially in areas with a high risk of flash floods and landslides, said the committee.

In addition, provinces must ready rescue forces and vehicles while submitting regular reports on the situation to the Offices of the National Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control and the National Committee for Search and Rescue.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the low pressure front had reached the southeastern waters off Viet Nam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago yesterday afternoon, packing winds of up to 60km per hour.

In the next 24 hours, it will head west and is likely to become a tropical storm. Heavy rains are forecast in central and Central Highlands provinces until Wednesday, which will then head north.

Quang Tri recalls fishing boats due to storm

Authorities of this central province today recalled a total of 2,282 local fishing boats as a safety precaution against tropical storm Vamco, which is approaching from the East Sea.

The province's disaster prevention and rescue centre said it had broadcast an urgent message to 24 boats carrying 166 crewmen, which were operating in the sea near the neighbouring areas of Quang Binh and Da Nang, asking them to return to shore.

The centre is providing updates on the storm to the boat owners while the boats remain docked to ensure the safety of the boats and crew and to deliver the proper responses for emergency cases.

Coastal communities that could be affected by the storms have been given alerts on flooding and landslides.

In Quang Binh Province, local border guards yesterday rescued three crewmen on a cargo ship that sank in the province's sea zone because of the storm.

The HD-1597 ship travelling from northern Hai Duong Province sank six nautical miles from the coast after being hit by strong waves.

The rescued crew were found to be in good health.

The tropical storm is travelling at speeds of 60km to 75km per hour, with the eye of the storm expected to hit coastal provinces from Da Nang to Quang Ngai this afternoon.

It has caused heavy rainfall in most central provinces from Nghe An to Khanh Hoa since this morning. The National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting said the water level of regional rivers was high, alerting the public of the possibility of floods tonight. 

VNS