At least two people have been killed and 17 others are missing after Typhoon Bualoi swept across Vietnam’s northern central provinces on Monday, unleashing powerful winds, torrential rains, and massive waves before weakening as it moved into Laos.
According to Vietnam’s disaster management agency, one victim drowned in floodwaters in Hue city while another was killed by a falling tree in Thanh Hoa province. Seventeen fishermen remain missing after two boats capsized off Quang Tri province, while another vessel lost contact during the storm.
Bualoi made landfall early Monday, lashing coastal areas with waves up to eight metres high and maximum sustained winds of 117 kilometres per hour. By late morning, winds had weakened to 74 kph as the storm crossed Nghe An province into Laos, the national weather agency reported.
The cyclone left behind significant destruction: 245 homes damaged, nearly 1,400 hectares of rice and other crops inundated, and power knocked out in multiple areas.
Access to several districts was also cut off. While no major damage to industrial facilities was reported, the storm passed close to large factories operated by Foxconn, Luxshare, Formosa Plastics, and Vinfast.
“I’ve witnessed many storms, and this is one of the strongest,” said Nguyen Tuan Vinh, a 45-year-old resident of Nghe An, as he cleared debris from his home.
Others described staying awake through the night to protect their houses amid power outages and howling winds.
Ahead of the storm, authorities evacuated more than 28,500 people and shut four airports in central provinces, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations and delays.
Heavy rains have continued across much of Vietnam since Saturday, with officials warning of severe flooding and landslides. Rainfall in several regions was forecast to reach up to 500 millimetres by Tuesday.
Vietnam, with its long South China Sea coastline, is highly vulnerable to tropical cyclones that frequently form near the Philippines. Bualoi had already killed at least 10 people there before striking Vietnam.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
