Typhoon Usagi

The super typhoon (cat 2) has caused tremendous damages and losses to the Philippines and Taiwan. It is making landfall in Hong Kong and South China. Here is the latest update of its position at the moment.

For 24 hours lead time: the typhoon will head to the West, hitting mainly the south China. It will decrease to Cat 1 and tropical storm. Here is the position:

For 36 hours lead time: the tropical storm will continue to the West, and is likely to hit the China-Vietnam border. There will be significant rainfall and strong wind in the frontier provinces of Quang Ninh, Cao Bang, Hai Phong.

Currently Vietnam is on high alert and the Government has sent the urgent telegraph to the Flood and Storm Control Board of the northern provinces to monitor the situation closely. There has been no warning from the Tourist Port Authority of Quang Ninh province where all overnight boards are registered with. The official announcement is expected to be made in the next day. It is therefore unclear whether overnight cruises in Halong Bay will be canceled or not. More updates will be posted.

Storm No 8

The tropical depression has formed a new storm, No 8 this year, over the seas of Hoi An and Da Nang. The storm is heading to the West at the speed of 10 km per hour and is predicted to hit the mainland in a couple of days.

At 7AM tomorrow, it will be just 240 kms far away from Hoi An beach. At 7Am the day after, it will be hitting the coastline of the central provinces. It is anticipated that there will be significant rainfall for a few days in the region.

 

The storm No 8 has not been given a specific international name. This is the latest update from the national weather forecast of Vietnam. By now there have been two active tropical systems over the Philippines.

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Holiday makers in Hoi An and Hue should beware of the current situation and make their plan to cope with the storm. Travelers who are intend to visit these destinations should watch out for more weather forecasts and update. More information of the storm No 8 will be updated in the coming days.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre on Fire

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre on Fire

At 20PM on the 8^th September 2013, the billboard around 8 meters in length that was hung in front of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (on the Dinh Tien Hoang Street , Hanoi ) suddenly ignited. The fire was fierce and quickly burst into a big flame, controlling the whole building and trapping dozens of foreign tourists inside.

A loud bang came from the billboard in front of the Theatre. The fire burst into a flame that swallowed the whole front of the Theater. One corner of the Theater was totally covered by the flame. The thick smoke arose. The plastic from the billboard fell down on the ground and continued burning. People around were too scared. All shops around had to close fear of the fire.

At the time of the fire, some 30 actors and staff were welcoming tourists to see the expected performances starting at 20PM. When people discovered the fire, the show was canceled. People tried to stop the fire and guided tourists to the emergency exit.  Mr Bui Duy Tan , Theater actor , said: "People initially panicked , but then calmed down knowing that the fired did not attack the inside”.
About 10 minutes later, two fire trucks were dispatched. The fire was under control after about 20 minutes. There were no casualties, and the next houses were not on fire too. The inside of the Theatre were almost not impacted. However, the billboard covering a front corner of Thang Long Puppet Theatre was burned down.

The fire occurred on Sunday evening. The Theatre location was adjacent to the Sword Lake, where hundreds of people were walking around, causing traffic congestion at the Dinh Tien Hoang Street.  Police said the fire was caused by electrical problem during the continuous rains over the last week.