People’s life must be given top priority, said Mr Hung, who has been in central Da Nang city to instruct localities to overcome the consequences of the typhoon.

He told media workers on October 1 that Xangsane was a powerful typhoon before it made landfall on central Vietnam. Therefore, the most important tasks at the time were to protect people in coastal areas and areas vulnerable to landslides and to continue the search for fishing vessels still out at sea.

Thanks to the joint efforts made by localities, relevant agencies, and particularly the Prime Minister’s timely instructions, we have succeeded in mitigating the consequences of the typhoon, said Mr Hung.  

He said about 300,000 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas and 29,000 ships and fishing vessels with 110,000 people on board have been brought to storm shelters safely.

It was a great success despite a short period of time, said Mr Hung, adding that national key projects were slightly damaged except for people’s properties.  

He warned Central Highlands provinces, particularly Kon Tum and Gia Lai provinces, and provinces downstream big rivers, of flash floods and landslides to be triggered by constant torrential rains. He ordered these provinces to immediately move local people away from dangerous areas.