Typhoon Bualoi kills 51 in Vietnam, causes massive damage

Hanoi: Typhoon Bualoi and the floods and landslides that followed have left 51 people dead, 14 missing and 164 injured across northern and central Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority. Preliminary economic losses are estimated at nearly 15.9 trillion Vietnamese dong (around $608 million).

The storm damaged or submerged more than 238,000 houses, inundated nearly 89,000 hectares of farmland, destroyed over 17,000 hectares of aquaculture and caused losses to nearly 50,300 hectares of forests. Infrastructure damage was severe, with more than 8,800 electricity poles downed, leaving nearly 468,500 households without power, while around 1,500 schools were also affected.

Authorities are continuing recovery work, deploying equipment to clear blocked roads, restore power and provide assistance to affected communities, the report said.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has approved an emergency relief package worth 2.524 trillion dong (about $96.5 million) for 15 affected provinces, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Vietnam News Agency. On September 30, he directed local administrations to urgently support residents, mitigate the impact of the disaster, and repair damaged infrastructure.

Extending condolences to bereaved families, the Prime Minister instructed provincial leaders to mobilize resources to access isolated areas, repair homes, provide shelters, and ensure supplies reach affected residents. He also ordered the restoration of schools and health facilities before October 5.

Several villages in north-central Vietnam remain flooded, cut off from transport and electricity.

Bualoi was the second major storm to strike Asia in a week. Days earlier, Typhoon Ragasa had killed at least 28 people in the northern Philippines and Taiwan before making landfall in China and dissipating over Vietnam.