Vietnam is capable of releasing immediate warnings of earthquakes and tsunamis to help minimise the consequences of these natural disasters, says a senior Vietnamese geophysicist.

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PhD Le Huy Minh, vice director of the Vietnam Institute of Geophysics and director of the the Vietnam Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre, made the confirmation in an interview with VOV in the wake of the recent 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile which caused tsunamis across the Pacific.  

How did Vietnam gather and deal with information when news of the earthquake and tsunamis was disseminated?
We have close links with the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre and Japan’s Northern Atlantic Tsunami Counselling Centre which often offers tsunami warnings via fax or email to the Vietnam Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre. Upon receiving information, the Vietnamese centre analyses and processes it and releases warnings to the media.

The recent powerful earthquake in Chile caused tsunamis across the Pacific but their levels were not as high as expected. We accessed the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre Website and found that there were no tsunami warnings for Vietnam and we immediately informed the media of the news.

What will Vietnam do if an earthquake occurs and causes tsunamis in its seas?

We have conducted research and found that tsunamis could be generated by earthquakes in the East Sea and the Manila Trench near the Philippines. If a powerful quake causes tsunamis in the region, it takes them about 2 hours to reach the Vietnamese coast. Our institute has developed a network of earthquake information centres linked to more than 20 similar ones in Southeast Asia. So we receive information as soon as there are any signs of an earthquake in the region. This means we are capable of releasing immediate warnings, especially to people living in coastal areas, to minimise severe consequences.

How do you access the risk of tsunamis, particularly in the coastal areas of Vietnam, and what do you recommend people do in case of emergency?

Through research we have found that no tsunamis have struck the coastal areas of Vietnam. According to recent research, there is a big possibility that tsunamis could be generated in the Manila Trench and then spread to nearby areas. If our modern equipment detects any early signs, we can release immediate warnings and Vietnam is likely to avoid potentially serious consequences of this powerful disaster.