12 killed, 17 missing after Storm Bualoi lashes central Vietnam

By Staff reporters          SEP. 29, 2025

Storm Buloi has left at least 12 people dead in Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Hue and Da Nang after hitting Vietnam's central coast on Monday, while 17 fishermen remain missing from the previous day.

  • 13h40
    Bualoi devolves into tropical depression
    After 13 hours of wreaking havoc across the central region, Storm Bualoi has weakened into a tropical depression shortly after 1:00 p.m. Monday while moving over central Laos, marking the end of its six-day lifespan since forming east of the Philippines.
  • 13h30
    Heavy rain pours down central Hanoi

    Hanoi’s inner city has experienced intermittent rainfall since Sunday night. Rains became heavier by 1:00 p.m., increasing the risk of flooding in low-lying streets.

    As the downpour intensified and created a hazy atmosphere, many vehicles had to turn on their headlights while navigating the streets.

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    The sky in Hai Ba Trung Ward in downtown Hanoi. Photo by Pham Chieu

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    Rains pour in Hanoi, and many vehicles have to turn on their headlights while moving. Photo by Pham Chieu

  • 11h40
    Vinh City streets turn into rivers

    Major roads in Vinh City, the capital of Nghe An Province, are heavily flooded, making it impossible for motorbikes and low-clearance cars to pass. Many vehicles were stalled and required rescue.

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    Road 32 in Vinh Phu Ward is flooded 40–50 cm deep. Photo by Duc Hung

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    Despite the severe flooding, some drivers still tried to navigate the streets, resulting in numerous stalled vehicles. Photo by Duc Hung

    Streets in Vinh City are deeply flooded. Video by Duc Hung

  • 11h40
    Downpours in Hanoi to last until Tuesday

    According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Hanoi is currently affected by the southeasterly wind flow left behind by the storm. As a result, the city is expected to experience rain through Tuesday, with moderate to heavy showers likely from noon to evening on Monday.

  • 11h40
    Numerous cars crushed in Thanh Hoa

    Hoang Phu Commune in Thanh Hoa Province has been hit hard, with hundreds of houses either collapsing or stripped of their roofs, and cars swept away and mangled.

    Telecommunications towers and power lines were snapped and brought down, causing a widespread blackout and loss of mobile service across the entire area.

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    A car dented and twisted in Hoang Phu Commune, Thanh Hoa Province. Photo by Le Hoang

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    Another car is left in a rice field in Thanh Hoa. Photo by Le Hoang

  • 11h10
    Storm Bualoi weakens, tracks along Vietnam-Laos border

    According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, as of 10:00 a.m. the storm’s center was over land along the Vietnam-Laos border in Nghe An Province.

    Maximum sustained winds were 74 kph. The system is moving west-northwest at about 20 kph and is forecast to track deeper into central Laos and weaken into a tropical depression.

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    Graphic by the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

    Over the next 12 hours, the region from Ninh Binh to northern Ha Tinh is expected to experience winds of 39-74 kph. Heavy rain will fall across the northern delta which includes Hanoi, Phu Tho, the southern parts of Son La, Lao Cai, and Thanh Hoa provinces, with total rainfall generally ranging from 100–200 mm and some areas exceeding 300 mm.

    Other northern provinces will see rainfall of 70–150 mm, with some spots receiving more than 200 mm. In Nghe An, from noon until Monday night, rainfall is forecast to reach 30–70 mm, with certain areas seeing over 150 mm.

  • 11h05
    High tide and waves flood coastal streets in Nghe An

    In Cua Lo Ward, Nghe An Province, a combination of high tide and waves of 1–2 m high flooded coastal areas, leaving many streets under 40–50 cm of water. Some areas near river mouths and waterways were temporarily cut off, making vehicle movement impossible.

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    High tide causes flooding on some streets in Cua Lo Ward, Nghe An Province. Photos by Duc Hung

  • 10h45
    Nghe An's largest market is devastated

    Vinh Market, the largest in Nghe An Province, was severely damaged by the storm. Rows of meat and fruit stalls were blown down, with goods scattered across the floor.

    "I was here yesterday afternoon and everything was still normal, but by evening the canvas roof and iron frames had been ripped off by the wind, and all the goods were soaked and destroyed," a vendor said.

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    Stalls at Vinh Market's entrance were toppled by strong winds. Photo by Duc Hung

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    The road leading into Vinh Market is littered with debris after the storm. Photo by Duc Hung

  • 10h25
    Power poles felled in Ha Tinh

    Multiple high-voltage poles along the coastal national highway in Loc Ha Commune, Ha Tinh Province, were snapped and toppled, disrupting traffic on inter-communal roads and provincial routes.

    Ha Tinh Power Company has dispatched crews to the sites to repair the damage and restore electricity.

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    Photo by Duc Hung

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    Photo by Duc Hung

  • 10h05
    Official dies amid storm preparation duty

    Nguyen Ngoc Hung, 60, Party Secretary of Ban Thien 3 Village in Trieu Son Commune, Thanh Hoa Province, was killed by a falling tree while helping with storm-prevention efforts at around 6 a.m. on Monday.

    Le Van Tuan, Party Secretary of the Trieu Son Commune, said Hung and several others were on duty overnight at the commune cultural house. On Monday morning, as he was walking from the cultural house toward his home, strong winds uprooted a large African mahogany tree that fell on him.

 
 
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