Vietnam’s death toll from Typhoon Bualoi has risen to 19, with another 21 people still missing, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The storm, the most destructive to hit the country this year, has triggered widespread flooding and raised fears of landslides across northern regions.
Bualoi made landfall on Monday in northern central Vietnam, unleashing massive sea swells, strong winds, and torrential rain. The typhoon had already left at least 10 people dead in the Philippines last week.
According to the government, at least 88 people have been injured and more than 100,000 homes damaged, mostly in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. Over 10,000 hectares of rice fields and crops have also been submerged.
The national weather agency reported that rainfall in several areas exceeded 300 millimetres in just 24 hours. It warned that heavy rains will persist, including in the capital Hanoi, with the potential for strong winds, lightning, flash floods, and landslides in the coming hours.
State media said several villages in northern central Vietnam remained inundated as of Tuesday, with power outages and blocked roads leaving many communities cut off.
Vietnam, with its long coastline facing the South China Sea, is highly vulnerable to typhoons, which often bring severe flooding and destruction.
