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Vietnam heads to shelter as Typhoon Haiyan hits coast

BY: AAP FROM: AAP NOVEMBER 10, 2013 12:58PM

Local Red Cross staf f place sand bags on the roof of a house as they prepare f or the arriv al of super ty phoon Haiy an, at a quarter in the central prov incial coastal city of Danang. Picture: AFP PHOTO Source: AFP

More than 200,000 people have crammed into storm shelters and soldiers have helped reinforce vulnerable homes as Typhoon Haiyan crosses into Vietnam. Authorities have begun mass evacuations in at least four central coastal provinces, Vietnam's state-run VNExpress news site said, as the country was put on high alert. DISASTER: Death toll in The Philippines 'could be 10,000' DEATH: Australian typhoon fatality named GALLERY: Typhoon Haiyan "More than 200,000 people have evacuated to shelters - some shelters are overloaded,'' VNExpress said. The army has been mobilised to provide emergency relief with some 170,000 soldiers assisting people after the typhoon hits.

Local Red Cross of f icial, Ong Ich Tien uses a megaphone to alert local residents to ev acuate prior to the arriv al of super ty phoon Haiy an. Picture: AFP PHOTO Source: AFP

Many schools in the affected area - normally open at the weekends - have closed, as people from vulnerable low-lying coastal villages move to higher ground. Central Vietnam has recently been hit by two other typhoons - Wutip and Nari, both weaker category one storms - which flooded roads, damaged sea dykes and tore the roofs off hundreds of thousands of houses. "Typhoon Haiyan is two or three times more powerful than either typhoon Wutip or Nari and it is expected to do more damage,'' Michael Annear, Red Cross country representative, told AFP. "We're expecting a lot of wind damage ... especially for those who repaired their houses themselves after Wutip and Nari.''

Local Red Cross staf f place sand bags on the roof of a house as they prepare f or the arriv al of super ty phoon Haiy an Picture: TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO Source: AFP

Annear added that heavy rain could put hydro-electric reservoirs or dams at risk and warned of potential flash flooding. "Hundreds of people have flocked to hardware stores ... Customers are snapping up plastic sheeting, wire and nails,'' the official Thanh Nien newspaper said. Although Haiyan is expected to weaken slightly, it is still considered a super typhoon with the potential for "complicated developments'', said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at an urgent meeting on Friday. Dung, who is personally overseeing preparations, has called all Vietnamese vessels back to shore and ordered hydropower reservoirs to step up safety measures "to limit the consequences in terms of human and materials'', a notice on the government's official website said. National carrier Vietnam Airlines has advised passengers to be prepared for flights to be interrupted or cancelled on Sunday.

Red Cross staf f tie up f ishing boats on higher ground in preparation f or the arriv al of super ty phoon Haiy an. Picture: AFP PHOTO/STR Source: AFP

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SOURCE: http://www.news.com.au/world/vietnam-heads-to-shelter-as-typhoon-haiyan-hits-coast/story-fndir2ev-1226756771173