Tropical storm 'Tembin' saves Vietnam

hanoi - The typhoon 'Tembin' unexpectedly spared Vietnam after the devastation in the Philippines with more than 240 deaths. The tropical storm rose in the night from Monday to Tuesday in the most southerly provinces of Ca Mau and Bac Lieu. But the gusts of wind weakened in the morning from 135 kilometers per hour to 60 kilometers per hour and ultimately did not reach the country.

The Southeast Asian country authorities had put 430,000 inhabitants in safety before the approaching storm.

The storm weakened to a tropical depression set course for the Gulf of Thailand on Tuesday. It can still lead to heavy rainfall in southern Vietnam, the authorities warned. 'Tembin' drew a trail of devastation over the south of the Philippines last weekend.