Central localities and relevant agencies have been told to continue staying alert as a tropical depression is moving near the coast, about 200km to the east-northeast of Quang Tri and Quang Ngai provinces early this morning.

The call was issued at a meeting on September 4 of the standing board of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. 

 According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, due to the tropical depression, central provinces from Nghe An to Quang Nam will see big rains on September 4 and 5, while the Tonkin Gulf and waters off the central coast from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai provinces will have strong winds and high waves. 

 The said tropical depression is one of the two tropical depressions heading to Vietnam on September 3. 

 The other one has since weakened into a low pressure system and is gradually dissolving. 

 Deputy chief of the steering committee’s office Vu Xuan Thanh also asked the national committee for search and rescue to join hands with the border guard and fishery inspection forces as well as local authorities to conduct search for three missing fishermen of fishing boat QNA91928TS, which sank on September 2 on the way to seek shelter from the tropical depression. 

 Colonel Tran Van Dinh, Head of the Border Guard’s search and rescue division, reported that torrential rains from August 31 to September 4 had prevented nine persons in Ha Tinh from going home. Two of them have been contacted, but 7 others are missing.  

 The Border Guard Command reported that the force had contacted 71,462 vessels with 317,654 persons on board to inform them of the route of the tropical depression.