Typhoon Bualoi struck north-central Vietnam in the early hours of Monday, unleashing heavy rains and strong winds that damaged homes, disrupted power lines, and left at least one person dead and 12 fishermen missing amid rising floods and rough seas.
The typhoon was over Nghe An province as of 0800 (0100 GMT), with maximum wind speeds weakening to 88 kph from 117 kph when it made landfall hours earlier, according to the national weather forecast agency.
Waves As High As 26 Feet
Before making landfall, Bualoi had moved along the country’s coastline for several hours, causing waves as high as eight metres, according to the national weather agency.
One person died after being caught in floodwater in Hue city, while 12 fishermen were missing after huge waves sank four fishing boats off Quang Tri province, state media reported.
Nearly 30,000 People Evacuated
Ahead of the typhoon’s landfall, the government evacuated over 28,500 people, while hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed. Four airports in the central provinces, including Da Nang International Airport, were closed, and several flight departure times were adjusted, the Civil Aviation Authority said.
The cyclone has triggered heavy rains across most of Vietnam since Saturday, and authorities have warned of the risk of severe floods and landslides.
Rainfall in several parts of the country was forecast to hit 500 millimetres from Sunday night through Tuesday, according to the weather agency.
Deadly Typhoon
With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to typhoons that are often formed east of the Philippines, where at least 10 people died after Bualoi hit last week.
Earlier, Vietnam said that schools in the typhoon-affected area will be closed on Monday, with closures potentially extended if necessary, according to news site VnExpress.
Heavy rain has already caused flooding in Hue and Quang Tri, the government said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
