Typhoon “Bualoi” has made its way to Vietnam, causing significant damage in several central provinces. The storm has resulted in at least 9 deaths and 13 fishermen missing. Strong winds and heavy rainfall have torn off roofs, flooded roads, and left hundreds of thousands of households without power. Currently, “Bualoi” is gradually weakening into a tropical storm as it moves towards Laos and continues to lose strength.
According to reports from foreign media outlets, the province of Ninh Binh has been the hardest hit by “Bualoi,” with at least 6 fatalities due to collapsing houses. The exact number of casualties in the area is still being confirmed, and the death toll may rise further.
In addition, a local official named Nguyen Ngoc Hung from Thanh Hoa province lost his life while preparing for the storm at night when a falling tree struck him on his way home. One person in Hue city was swept away by floodwaters, and there was also one reported death in Danang.
Concerning the missing individuals, a fishing boat in Quang Tri province had its anchor rope severed, leading to 9 crew members and the vessel drifting out to sea, with only 4 managing to swim ashore. In Gia Lai province, 8 fishermen who were out on duty have lost contact.
In terms of the devastation and infrastructure damage caused by the storm, over 347,000 households were left without electricity before landfall. Strong winds have blown off tin roofs and brought down concrete power poles. The government has evacuated over 28,500 people and shut down four coastal airports in the central region, with hundreds of flights canceled or delayed. Additionally, 245 buildings have been damaged, and nearly 1,400 hectares of rice fields and crops are submerged.
On Monday (September 29), at around 12:30 a.m., “Bualoi” made landfall in Ha Tinh province with maximum wind speeds reaching 133 kilometers per hour. By 10 a.m. on Monday morning, the storm center was located near the border between Nghe An province and Laos, with maximum wind speeds decreasing to 74 kilometers per hour as it entered Laos territory.
Residents in Nghe An province expressed their fears, with Ho Van Quynh telling Reuters, “I didn’t sleep all night, afraid that the door would be blown off by the fierce wind.” Nguyen Tuan Vinh, aged 45, who experienced many storms, commented, “This is the strongest one I’ve been through.”
Last week, “Bualoi” caused at least 20 deaths in the Philippines, forcing about 23,000 families to evacuate to over 1,400 emergency shelters.
This marks the second major storm to hit Asia within a week. Prior to this, Typhoon “Ragasa” caused at least 28 deaths and 12 people missing in northern Philippines and Taiwan.