Vietnam evacuations as Typhoon Bualoi nears coast, four airports shut

Vietnam ordered major evacuations and shut four coastal airports on Sunday as Typhoon Bualoi, with sustained winds of about 133 km/h, sped toward central provinces and was forecast to make landfall late on Sunday between Quang Tri and Nghe An, officials said. The government mobilized thousands of troops and other resources to assist tens of thousands of residents as heavy rain and flooding already hit parts of the central coast.

The national weather agency warned that Bualoi is moving nearly twice the typical speed for storms in the region and has a broad radius capable of producing powerful winds, intense rainfall, flash floods, landslides, and coastal inundation. Officials cautioned that storm surge could exceed one metre in exposed areas. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for the highest level of readiness, according to state media.

Authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 250,000 people, government and local reports said, with detailed relocations including more than 210,000 residents in Da Nang, over 32,000 in Hue and upwards of 15,000 in Ha Tinh. The Ministry of Defense and provincial governments deployed personnel and vehicles to move residents to schools,...