Typhoon Bualoi Leaves Two Dead, 17 Missing in Vietnam

Typhoon Bualoi struck Vietnam on Monday, leaving at least two people dead and 17 missing, while damaging homes and knocking out power across parts of the country. The storm brought torrential rain and powerful waves before weakening as it moved inland toward Laos.

According to the national weather agency, Bualoi swept across Vietnam’s north-central coastline early Monday, generating waves as high as eight meters.

The government’s disaster management agency reported that one person drowned in floodwaters in the city of Hue, while another was killed by a falling tree in Thanh Hoa province.

Seventeen fishermen went missing after two boats were hit by massive waves off the coast of Quang Tri province. Contact was also lost with another vessel during the storm, the agency said.

“I’ve seen many storms, but this is one of the strongest,” said Nguyen Tuan Vinh, 45, who was clearing debris in Nghe An province. Neighbors said they spent the night securing their homes after the power went out.

“I stayed awake all night, afraid the wind would blow my door off,” said resident Ho Van Quynh.

By 11:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), the storm had weakened from maximum sustained winds of 117 kilometers per hour to about 74 kph as it moved across Nghe An province toward Laos, according to the weather service.

The disaster management agency said Bualoi had damaged 245 houses, inundated nearly 1,400 hectares of rice and other crops, and cut off access to several communities. The report made no mention of major industrial damage, though factories belonging to Foxconn, Luxshare, Formosa Plastics, and VinFast lie in or near the storm’s path.

Ahead of landfall, authorities evacuated more than 28,500 people to safer areas. Four airports in central provinces were closed, forcing hundreds of flights to be canceled or delayed.

Heavy rainfall linked to the cyclone has affected much of Vietnam since Saturday, prompting warnings of severe flooding and landslides. Forecasters expect up to 500 millimeters of rain in parts of the country between Sunday night and Tuesday.

With its long coastline along the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to tropical storms that often form east of the Philippines. Last week, Typhoon Bualoi killed at least 10 people in the Philippines before moving westward.