Hanoi – Typhoon Bualoi tore through Vietnam’s central coast on Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 people and injuries to 46, the government reported. The accompanying strong winds and torrential rains severely damaged tens of thousands of homes, severed power links, and flooded major roads, causing widespread chaos.
The national weather agency stated that Bualoi weakened into a depression as it headed for Laos after making landfall early Monday. Before weakening, it whipped up waves as high as eight metres (26 ft) as it moved along the northern central coast.
The government’s disaster management agency confirmed that among the missing are fishermen whose boats were washed away off the coast of Quang Tri province, with another fishing vessel having lost contact entirely.
Residents described a terrifying night as the storm hit. “I stayed awake the whole night, fearing the door would be pulled off by strong winds,” said Ho Van Quynh of Nghe An province. Another resident, 45-year-old Nguyen Tuan Vinh, commented, “I’ve witnessed many storms, and this is one of the strongest.”
Mass Evacuations and Infrastructure Damage
In anticipation of the typhoon, the government successfully evacuated more than 28,500 people. Hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled due to the closure of four airports across the central provinces.
The death toll was concentrated in several areas: the Vietnam News Agency reported that strong winds killed nine people and injured seven in Ninh Binh province. Additionally, one person died in floodwaters in Hue city, and another fatality was caused by a falling tree in Thanh Hoa province.
Initial government figures indicate Bualoi damaged over 44,000 homes, submerged nearly 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) of rice and other crops, and cut off access to several key areas. While the government noted no major damage to industrial properties, large factories owned by multinational corporations like Foxconn and Formosa Plastics operate in or near the typhoon’s path.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered the defence and public security ministries to urgently dispatch troops and police officers to assist with the storm’s aftermath and recovery efforts.
The cyclone has triggered heavy rains across most of Vietnam since Saturday, prompting authorities to warn of a high risk of severe floods and landslides. Water levels have risen to alarming levels in rivers and reservoirs in the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Thanh Hoa, leaving tens of thousands of families without power. Weather authorities forecast rainfall of up to in several areas through Tuesday.
Vietnam, with its long coastline facing the South China Sea, is highly prone to typhoons that often form east of the Philippines, where Bualoi claimed at least 10 lives last week.
