Typhoon Bualoi slammed into Vietnam’s northern central coast on Monday, leaving at least eight people dead and 17 others missing, as fierce winds and heavy rains battered coastal regions, damaged homes, disrupted power, and flooded roads.
The storm weakened as it moved inland toward neighboring Laos.
According to Vietnam’s national weather agency, Bualoi made landfall early Monday, generating waves up to eight meters high as it tracked along the central coastline.
Among the missing are 17 fishermen whose boats were struck by powerful waves off Quang Tri province, while another vessel lost contact during the storm, the national disaster management agency reported.
“I stayed awake the whole night fearing the wind would rip the door off,” said Ho Van Quynh, a resident of Nghe An province.
His neighbors also recounted spending the night securing their homes as the storm knocked out power to their apartment building.
“This is one of the strongest storms I’ve experienced,” said Nguyen Tuan Vinh, 45.
In Ninh Binh province, strong winds claimed the lives of eight people and injured seven others, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
Additional casualties included one person who drowned in floodwaters in Hue City, and another killed by a falling tree in Thanh Hoa province.
By 11:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), the typhoon had weakened as it moved across Nghe An toward Laos, with wind speeds dropping to 74 km/h (46 mph), down from 117 km/h (73 mph) at landfall.
The storm has caused widespread damage, including: Destruction of 245 homes, Flooding of nearly 1,400 hectares of rice and crops, Disruption of road access in several areas
No significant damage to industrial sites has been reported, although several major factories operated by Foxconn, Luxshare, Formosa Plastics, and VinFast lie within or near Bualoi’s path.
In preparation for the storm, authorities evacuated more than 28,500 people, while hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed as four central airports were shut down.
Bualoi has brought torrential rain across much of Vietnam since Saturday.
The weather agency has warned of an increased risk of flooding and landslides, with rainfall expected to reach up to 500 millimeters in some areas between Sunday night and Tuesday.
Vietnam, with its long coastline exposed to the South China Sea, is frequently hit by typhoons that form east of the Philippines.
Bualoi had already killed at least 10 people in the Philippines before reaching Vietnam.
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