Accra: At least 12 people have died and 17 fishermen are missing, after Tropical Storm Bualoi made landfall in central Vietnam, state media said on Monday.
According to Ghana News Agency, the casualties were reported in Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces, as well as cities such as Hue and Da Nang in central Vietnam. Four people died in northern Ninh Binh province, after a tornado ripped the roof off a home early Monday morning, while two others died in nearby communes amid severe thunderstorms, strong winds, and torrential rains that damaged infrastructure.
One person died after being swept away by floodwaters in Hue. Nguyen Ngoc Hung, a 60-year-old official in central Thanh Hoa province, was also killed by a falling tree, while assisting with storm mitigation efforts. Levels of rainfall reached above 350 millimetres in the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, with many areas suffering electricity outages amid damage to electricity poles.
The Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention and Control confirmed that 17 fishermen are missing: nine in Quang Tri province and eight in Gia Lai. After killing more than 25 people in the Philippines, Bualoi lashed central Vietnamese provinces, causing flooding, landslides, and airport closures.
Packing maximum wind speeds of more than 130 kilometres per hour in the eyewall, the storm struck the coast just north of Vinh City in Nghe An province on Sunday evening. The storm has now weakened to a tropical depression, as it moves into neighbouring Laos.
Before striking Vietnam, Bualoi had battered the Philippines, where it reached typhoon strength and killed at least 27 people, according to authorities. Hundreds of thousands were forced to evacuate as the storm, which sometimes reached typhoon strength, swept across the island nation before heading west over the South China Sea.
Vietnam has faced a string of destructive storms in recent months. Just a month ago, Typhoon Kajiki killed at least three people and caused heavy flooding in central and northern regions. Last year, Typhoon Yagi left around 300 dead and inflicted widespread damage.