Typhoon Bualoi Kills 36, Causes Widespread Damage

Typhoon Bualoi made landfall in northern-central Vietnam at the end of September, bringing prolonged heavy rains (exceeding 300 mm in places), winds up to about 130 km/h and huge sea swells that triggered widespread flooding and landslides from the northern mountains to the central coast, including Hanoi. Reuters later put the Vietnam death toll at 36, with 21 missing and 147 injured; the storm also killed dozens in the Philippines and left many more missing across the region. Authorities say the cyclone damaged or inundated roughly 136,000–210,000 homes, destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of cropland, downed power lines and cut off communities. The government sharply revised economic losses, with Reuters estimating about 11.5 trillion dong (≈$436 million) in damage, while evacuations, relief operations and searches for the missing continue. Flooding paralyzed parts of Hanoi, forcing school closures, flight diversions at Noi Bai airport and suspension of some rail services, and forecasters warned of continued heavy rains and elevated landslide risk.