Several people have been killed and 17 others are missing as Typhoon Bualoi hit Vietnam with heavy rain and strong winds, tearing through communities, flooding roads and damaging houses.
In the early hours on Monday, the typhoon made landfall and caused waves as high as 8 metres (26 feet), according to the national weather agency.
Citing the government’s disaster management agency, the Reuters news agency reported two deaths from the extreme weather pattern, including one person who died after being caught in floodwater in Hue City and another killed by a falling tree in Thanh Hoa province.
The Associated Press news agency reported a higher death toll, including the two people in Hue City and Thanh Hoa, adding that nine people have been killed in the storm.
In the province of Ninh Binh, strong winds collapsed houses, killing six people. Another death was reported in Danang.
In the Quang Tri province, strong winds broke the ropes anchoring a fishing boat taking shelter, leaving nine crew members and their vessel adrift, four of whom managed to swim to shore.
In the Gia Lai province, families reported losing contact with eight people on a fishing trip.
According to state media, more than 347,000 households lost power before the typhoon made landfall just after midnight on Sunday.
Nguyen Tuan Vinh, in the Nghe An province, cleaning up debris, told Reuters it was “one of the strongest” storms he had experienced.
Another resident, Ho Van Quynh, also told Reuters that they stayed up all night to protect their home.
“I stayed awake the whole night fearing the door would be pulled off by strong winds,” said Ho Van Quynh.
In advance of the typhoon hitting, Vietnam’s government evacuated more than 28,500 people. At the same time, hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed as four airports in central provinces were closed.
By 11am (04:00 GMT), the typhoon was moving over the Nghe An province and into Laos.
Since Friday, Bualoi has already caused at least 20 deaths in the Philippines, mainly from drowning and falling trees, according to officials.
It becomes the second severe storm to hit Asia in a week, after Typhoon Ragasa in the northern Philippines and Taiwan, which made landfall in China, killing at least 28 people.
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