Vietnam’s government announced on Tuesday (September 30) that the death toll from Typhoon Bualoi, which made landfall on the northern coast of Vietnam, has risen to 19 people. Additionally, 21 people are reported missing and 88 others have been injured. This storm is considered the most destructive to hit the country this year.
According to the Vietnam National Meteorological Agency, Typhoon Bualoi landed in the early hours of Monday (29th) in the province of Ha Giang in the north, with maximum wind speeds reaching 133 kilometers per hour. As it moved along the central and northern coasts, it generated waves up to 8 meters high, causing severe damage in Ha Giang, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, and other provinces. Many roofs were torn off houses, and a significant number of trees and power poles were blown down. The storm later weakened to a tropical depression and headed towards Laos.
The Vietnamese government reported that the typhoon has damaged over 100,000 houses, with Ha Giang province suffering the most, accounting for about 79,000 damaged buildings. More than 10,000 hectares of rice paddies and crops have been inundated.
The National Meteorological Agency stated that rainfall in various regions of Vietnam has exceeded 300 millimeters in the past 24 hours. Strong rain is expected to continue, with areas including the capital, Hanoi, facing the risk of landslides and flash floods within the next six hours.
Local media outlets have reported that many villages in central and northern Vietnam are still submerged in floodwaters, leading to disruptions in transportation and power supply. This situation has presented significant challenges for assessing the extent of the damage and carrying out rescue operations.