No. 285
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today offered his condolences on behalf of all Canadians to the people of Vietnam after Typhoon Ketsana made landfall in Vietnam on Tuesday afternoon. Typhoon Ketsana has caused loss of life and large-scale damage and has exacerbated existing severe flooding.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to extend our sympathies to those individuals and communities affected by this terrible disaster, especially those who have lost loved ones,” said Minister Cannon.
“To date, we have no reports of Canadian deaths or injuries due to the typhoon. Canadian officials in Ottawa and in Vietnam continue to monitor the impact of the flooding in Vietnam, and are in close contact with Vietnamese authorities,” the Minister added.
“We invite Canadian citizens who are in the affected area to call home and reassure their loved ones, even if they have not been affected by this event.”
Canadians in the affected areas who require emergency consular assistance should contact the Canadian Embassy in Hanoi at 84 (4) 3734-5000 or the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City at 84 (8) 3827-9899. Alternatively, they may call Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada’s Emergency Operations Centre collect at 613-996-8885 or send an email to sos@international.gc.ca.
Friends and relatives in Canada seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be in the affected area should contact the Emergency Operations Centre in Ottawa by calling 1-800-387-3124 or 613-943-1055 or by sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca.
For up-to-date information, consult Travel Report - Vietnam and Typhoon Ketsana Hits Southeast Asia.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
