VietNamNet Bridge – The rumor was spread on the evening of September 10, on Ly Son Island in the central province of Quang Ngai, urging thousands of locals to run away helter-shelter.

Quake and tsunami warnings in Vietnam
Could a tsunami really hit Vietnam?
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Nhien, a citizen in An Vinh commune, Ly Son island district, told an online newspaper that at around 11pm, September 10, many young people drove motorbikes along the inter-commune road and shouted: “Tsunami is coming at 1am, let’s climb up to the mountain to avoid it.” Immediately, locals phoned each others to inform of the bad news.

“They collected instant noodles, water and beddings to quickly climb up to the nearby mountain to dodge the tsunami,” Nhien said.

Being informed of the rumor, Mrs. Pham Thi Huong, Vice Chair of Ly Son District, told the local radio to turn on its power generator to release an announcement to calm people. The announcement confirmed that the news was false rumor and told people to come back home to not lose their assets.

Border guards were also mobilized to use handheld loudspeakers to call for people who had run to mountains to return home.

Local authorities said that perhaps someone intentionally spread false rumors to take the advantage to burglarize, causing disorder.

“We have instructed the local police and border guard forces to investigate the rumor. This case must be strictly punished,” Mrs. Huong said.

Until 1am, many households began returning their home.

Ly Son Island has more than 4,000 households, totaling around 21,000 people in three communes, An Vinh, An Hai and An Binh.

The island suffers from many storms annually. However, it has never had tsunami.

PV