Typhoon Bualoi Kills 19 in Vietnam, Dozens Missing After Storm

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

Typhoon Bualoi swept through central Vietnam on Tuesday, killing nineteen people and injuring more than eighty, while destroying homes, crops, and critical infrastructure. The storm made landfall late Sunday with winds of one hundred and thirty kilometres per hour (eighty miles per hour) and remained over land for nearly twelve hours—a rare occurrence for the region, according to meteorological authorities.

The typhoon, the tenth to hit Vietnam this year, brought a dangerous combination of strong winds, flash floods, and prolonged heavy rainfall, leaving widespread devastation. Authorities continue to search for twenty-one people, including several fishermen whose vessels were swept away by the storm’s powerful currents.

Over one hundred thousand homes were damaged, while around two thousand seven hundred families remain stranded in Ha Tinh province, struggling to find shelter and basic necessities. The typhoon also destroyed two hundred and twenty-five square kilometres of farmland, uprooted more than ten thousand trees, and downed power lines, leaving large swathes of central Vietnam without electricity. Disaster management and weather authorities have issued ongoing warnings about rising river levels and the risk of landslides in mountainous areas.

Hanoi was also affected, experiencing heavy rainfall and widespread flooding that disrupted traffic and damaged vehicles. “The floodwater reached almost the top of my motorbike. It was a terrible morning,” said one resident, reflecting the impact of the storm even in the capital city.

Vietnam typically faces up to ten storms annually, with forecasters warning of two to three more expected this year. Economic losses from storms have already surged to three hundred and seventy-one million dollars from January to August 2025, highlighting the growing impact of extreme weather in the country.

Before hitting Vietnam, Bualoi swept through small islands in central Philippines, killing twenty-seven people, displacing four hundred thousand, and causing widespread flooding, underscoring the storm’s destructive path across Southeast Asia.