Typhoon Bualoi struck Vietnam’s northern central coast on Monday, leaving behind destruction and tragedy. The storm killed eight people and left 17 others missing, mostly fishermen lost at sea after massive waves overturned boats off Quang Tri province.
Strong winds and heavy rains tore through houses, cut power lines, and flooded major roads. “I stayed awake the whole night fearing the door would be pulled off,” said Ho Van Quynh from Nghe An province. His neighbours also spent the night protecting their homes in darkness after power went out. Nguyen Tuan Vinh, 45, added, “I’ve witnessed many storms, and this is one of the strongest.”
In Ninh Binh province, winds killed eight people and injured seven more. A man in Hue drowned in floodwater, while another died after a falling tree struck him in Thanh Hoa province.
By late morning, the typhoon weakened as it moved into Laos, with wind speeds dropping from 117 kph to 74 kph. Still, the damage was severe: 245 homes destroyed, 1,400 hectares of crops flooded, and several areas cut off.
Authorities evacuated over 28,500 people, shut down airports, and warned of more floods and landslides as heavy rains continued across the country.
