HCMC - Typhoon Mindulle has forced Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific to cancel around 17 domestic flights from HCMC and Hanoi to central and Central Highlands regions and vice versa.
Vietnam Airlines said that it had to call off eight flights between the country’s two major cities and Vinh on Tuesday because of the storm. In addition to its daily schedule, the flagship carrier will operate extra services on these routes on Wednesday to transport 641 stranded passengers.
Low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific was unable to run its daily service between HCMC and Vinh on Tuesday and would plan more services on this route on Wednesday to transport more than 100 affected passengers.
Vietnam Airlines’ flight cancellations as a result of the typhoon, also known in Vietnam as Storm No. 3, were many more than the only one flight by Jetstar Pacific because the national carrier’s flights to the central and Central Highlands regions of Vietnam are much more than the latter’s.
On Monday afternoon and evening, Vietnam Airlines aborted eight flights between HCMC and Hue as well as Hanoi and this former imperial capital, leaving more than 870 passengers grounded. The airline carried these passengers on its daily and extra flights on Tuesday.
Vietnam Airlines reported the biggest number of affected passengers for HCMC-Hue flights, with more than 500 passengers unable to board its four flights on Monday. There were 253 for the Hanoi-Hue route and 125 for the HCMC-Buon Ma Thuot flight cancellations.
Vietnam Airlines said it had prepared enough aircraft and staff for the extra services. However, it called for passengers to get updates on its website at www.vietnamairlines.com or by dialing (04) 38 320 320 for those in Hanoi, (08) 38 320 320 in HCMC and (0511) 3832320 in Danang.
The typhoon that centered offshore Ha Tinh Province at mid-day on Tuesday caused fierce winds and widespread devastation along the north-central coast.
The storm that was centered 90km from the shore caused heavy rain and strong winds up to grades 10 and 11 in Ky Anh and Loc Ha Districts of Ha Tinh. The powerful storm uprooted trees and unroofed many houses.
Chairman of Loc Ha District Bui Le Bac said local residents, including old people, women and children had been evacuated. Military, police, and volunteers had been mobilized to help move people’s possessions and check the dyke system.
Border police have succeeded in contacting and supervising over 44,000 boats and ships to move to safe areas.
The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control on Tuesday sent a delegation headed by Dao Xuan Hoc, deputy minister of agriculture and rural development, to the north- central provinces of Quang Binh and Ha Tinh to oversee emergency response there.
Cao Duc Phat, head of the steering committee and minister of agriculture and rural development, on Tuesday urged the authorities of affected provinces to keep in contact and guide fishing boats as well as call on residents to reinforce their houses. All local rescue teams should be on standby.
Phat also warned that the storm might trigger flash floods like what storms did in the past, so an emergency plan should be in place to deal with floods and the aftermath.
