Typhoon Bualoi Hits Ha Tinh, North-Central Vietnam, 51 Dead

Typhoon Bualoi made landfall in Ha Tinh province just before dawn on Monday, ripping roofs from houses, uprooting power poles and unleashing heavy rain and storm surges that caused widespread flooding across northcentral Vietnam. The government’s disaster management agency said Friday that 51 people have died and 14 remain missing, with 164 injured, as rescue teams continue search and relief operations.

Officials said the storm struck with winds up to 133 kilometers per hour and waves as high as 8 meters in coastal areas, dumping more than 300 millimeters of rain in places within 24 hours. The agency’s latest assessment put direct economic losses at about 15.9 trillion dong, roughly $603 million, and said more than 230,000 houses were damaged or inundated and nearly 89,000 hectares of rice and other crops were destroyed.

Authorities evacuated thousands of residents ahead of Bualoi’s arrival. The agriculture ministry and local disaster agencies reported more than 28,000 people moved from vulnerable coastal zones, while other official counts said over 53,000 were sheltered in schools and medical centers. Four domestic airports in central provinces, including Danang International,...