At least nine people have died, and 17 others are missing after Typhoon Bualoi swept through central Vietnam on Monday, September 29, bringing heavy rains, floods and strong winds before weakening as it moved into neighbouring Laos.
According to Vietnam’s national weather agency, the storm made landfall along the country’s northern central coastline early Monday with waves reaching up to eight metres. By 11:00 am (0400 GMT), Bualoi was moving over Nghe An province with maximum wind speeds reduced to 74 kph, down from 117 kph at landfall.
Seventeen fishermen were reported missing after large waves struck two boats off Quang Tri province, while another vessel lost contact during the storm. Authorities said 245 houses were damaged, nearly 1,400 hectares of crops were inundated, and several areas cut off.
Fatalities were reported across multiple provinces. Six people were killed in Ninh Binh when strong winds caused houses to collapse.
One man, identified as Thanh Hoa official Nguyen Ngoc Hung, died after a tree fell on him while returning home from storm preparations. Another victim was swept away by floodwaters in Hue city, while a fatality was also reported in Danang.
Ahead of the storm, the government evacuated more than 30,000 residents and closed four airports in central provinces, resulting in the cancellation or delay of hundreds of flights.
Nguyen Tuan Vinh, a resident of Nghe An province, described the storm as among the strongest he had seen. “I’ve witnessed many storms, and this is one of the strongest,” he said while clearing debris. Another resident, Ho Van Quynh, added: “I stayed awake the whole night fearing the door would be pulled off by strong winds.”
The disaster management agency reported no significant damage to industrial properties, though several factories belonging to Foxconn, Luxshare, Formosa Plastics, and Vinfast are located near the typhoon’s path.
Authorities warned of continued risks of floods and landslides, with rainfall forecasts of up to 500millimetres in some areas from Sunday night through Tuesday.
Bualoi, also known locally as “Storm No. 10,” has been described as the fastest-moving storm recorded in the East Sea, travelling more than 1,000 kilometres between September 26 and 28 before striking Vietnam.
With its long coastline on the South China Sea, Vietnam is frequently hit by typhoons, many of which form near the Philippines, where Bualoi caused several deaths last week.