The Thanh Cong 999, which was delivering rock powder from the central province of Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh’s Vung Ang area, sank about five nautical miles away from Vung Ang Port in Ky Anh Town, said Truong Minh Tuan, director of the Ha Tinh Maritime Administration.

Before the ship sank, the crew had called authorities. Multiple forces, including rescue personnel, fishermen and locals’ ships, were deployed to rescue (the sunken ship and the crew), Tuan said.

As of 3:40 p.m, a coast guard vessel discovered two life buoys with two people clinging to them: Tran Quang Hai, 32; and Vu Van Tuyen, 30. Their ship was hit by a big wave which destroyed a part of the ship and sank it, the two said.

Rescue forces later found another ten crew members, but one is still missing.

The coastal region from Binh Dinh to Phu Yen provinces have been hit by storm Matmo, the fifth storm to hit the country this year. The storm made landfall Wednesday night, carrying maximum wind speeds of 90 km per hour, but weakened into a tropical depression shortly after.

The storm brought heavy rains and strong winds that felled trees and knocked down several buildings, leading to power cuts in Binh Dinh and Phu Yen.

A tree and an electric pole felled by rain and strong winds in Quy Nhon Town,
Binh Dinh Province, October 31, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa.

At least one person from Phu Yen died in a traffic accident in the rain on Wednesday night, after Matmo made landfall, Nguyen Huu Tu, chairman of Phu Yen’s Dong Xuan District People’s Committee, said Thursday.

Strong waves also eroded two kilometers of sea dykes in Nhon Hai Commune, Quy Nhon Town and swept away more than ten houses, said Ho Quoc Dung, Chairman of the Binh Dinh People’s Committee.

Several ships in Quy Nhon had their anchors pulled out on Wednesday night during the storm, Dung added.

Rainfall of 300-600 mm should be expected in central provinces Thua Thien-Hue to Ninh Thuan and the Central Highlands Thursday, weather experts had warned earlier.

More heavy rain and strong waves are expected in the central provinces and the Central Highlands over the coming days, they added. Rainfall of 180 mm a day is considered heavy.

Vietnam is hit by up to 10 tropical storms during the monsoon season, usually between July and October.

The country was struck by nine storms last year. Storm Podul hit central provinces in August this year, killing six people.