Deadly Typhoon Bualoi Devastates Vietnam's Coast: 8 Dead, 17 Missing in Powerful Storm

A view of Cua Lo beach damaged after typhoon Bualoi made landfall in Nghe An province.

HANOI: Typhoon Bualoi swept through Vietnam's coastline on Monday, claiming eight lives and leaving 17 people missing. The powerful storm brought strong winds and heavy rainfall that damaged homes, disrupted electricity supply, and flooded roadways before weakening as it moved toward Laos.

The typhoon traveled along Vietnam's northern central coast before making landfall early Monday, generating waves up to eight meters high according to the national weather agency.

The government's disaster management agency reported that seventeen fishermen went missing after massive waves struck two fishing vessels off Quang Tri province. Another fishing boat lost contact during the storm.

"I remained awake throughout the night fearing the strong winds would tear off the door," said Ho Van Quynh from Nghe An province. His neighbors reported spending the night protecting their homes as their apartment building lost power.

"I've experienced many storms, and this ranks among the strongest," remarked 45-year-old Nguyen Tuan Vinh.

The Vietnam News Agency reported that powerful winds caused eight fatalities and injured seven others in Ninh Binh province.

According to the disaster management agency, one person drowned in floodwaters in Hue city, while another was killed by a falling tree in Thanh Hoa province.

By 11:00 a.m. (0400 GMT), the typhoon had moved over Nghe An province into Laos, with maximum wind speeds decreasing to 74 kph (46 mph) from 117 kph when it first made landfall, according to the weather agency.

The disaster management agency's report indicated that Bualoi has damaged 245 houses, flooded nearly 1,400 hectares of rice and other crops, and cut off access to several areas.

While the report did not mention significant damage to industrial properties, several large factories are located in or near Bualoi's path, including those owned by Foxconn, Luxshare, Formosa Plastics, and Vinfast.

Prior to the typhoon's impact, the government evacuated more than 28,500 people, and hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed as four airports in central provinces were closed.

The cyclone has triggered heavy rainfall across most of Vietnam since Saturday, with authorities warning about the risk of severe floods and landslides.

The weather agency forecast rainfall in several regions to reach 500 millimeters from Sunday night through Tuesday.

Vietnam, with its extensive coastline facing the South China Sea, is vulnerable to typhoons that typically form east of the Philippines, where Bualoi claimed at least 10 lives last week.