Vietnam Insider – Vietnam has reported 19 deaths and 13 missing persons after Typhoon Bualoi unleashed powerful winds, torrential rain, and widespread flooding across the country.
According to the Department of Dike Management and Disaster Prevention under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, fatalities were concentrated in northern provinces. Eleven people were killed in Ninh Binh and Hung Yen due to tornado-like winds, while others died in Son La, Lang Son, Nghe An, Hue, Ha Tinh, Da Nang, and Thanh Hoa due to flash floods, landslides, and storm-related accidents.
Among the missing are 12 fishermen from Ho Chi Minh City whose boats sank while sheltering in Quang Tri, and eight more crew members from Gia Lai who lost contact with authorities while operating 110 nautical miles offshore.
Widespread Damage Across Multiple Provinces
The storm damaged more than 104,000 homes, with Ha Tinh alone accounting for nearly 79,000. Over 9,400 hectares of rice and crops and 1,700 hectares of aquaculture farms were submerged or destroyed, particularly in Nghe An and Ha Tinh.
Infrastructure damage is severe:
- 3,400 electricity poles were toppled, leading to widespread blackouts in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Tri.
- More than 13,000 trees were uprooted.
- Floodwaters cut off national highways at 163 locations, causing significant traffic disruptions.
- Ten dike and embankment failures were reported, including major breaches in Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, and Quang Tri.
Air travel was also disrupted, with 42 flights canceled and 51 delayed at airports in Da Nang, Phu Bai, Dong Hoi, and Tho Xuan.
Bualoi, which formed on September 24 east of the Philippines, made landfall in Ha Tinh early on September 29 with winds reaching Category 11 on the Beaufort scale. Some areas, including Thua Thien-Hue, received up to 857 mm of rainfall, triggering floods on multiple rivers such as the Chu, Ma, Ca, and Ngan Pho.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued an emergency directive, extending condolences to victims’ families, urging free medical treatment for the injured, and mobilizing resources to search for the missing and restore essential services.
Authorities also ordered hydropower plants Hoa Binh and Tuyen Quang to release water from their reservoirs to ease flood risks downstream.
Typhoon Bualoi weakened into a tropical depression after 13 hours on land, but its devastation leaves behind a long road to recovery for affected provinces.
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Source: Vietnam Insider