At least 12 dead, more missing as Typhoon Bualoi makes landfall in Vietnam

Typhoon Bualoi made landfall in Vietnam around the early hours of September 29, 2025, causing severe destruction with at least 12 deaths and 17 people reported missing.

The storm brought intense rainfall, powerful winds reaching up to 117 km/h, and waves as high as eight meters. It caused widespread flooding, damaged homes, knocked down power lines leading to power outages in over 347,000 households, and rendered many mountainous communities isolated. Rescue teams are actively searching for missing fishermen, and nearly 30,000 people were evacuated as a precaution.

The typhoon later weakened into a tropical storm and moved into Laos. The Vietnamese government deployed military personnel to assist in relief efforts and closed several airports and highways in response to the storm.

Key Impacts

• At least 12 people killed, many homes damaged or destroyed.

• 17 fishermen missing after their boats were swept away.

• Severe flooding and disruption of roads and bridges.

• Power outages in hundreds of thousands of homes.

• Evacuations of nearly 30,000 residents.

• Airports shut down and numerous flights canceled or delayed.

• The storm weakened after landfall and moved into Laos.

Regional Context

• Before hitting Vietnam, Bualoi caused over 20 deaths in the Philippines.

• It is part of a series of intense storms hitting the region in 2025, including Super Typhoon Ragasa.

This event has caused significant human and infrastructure loss in central and northern Vietnam and ongoing search and rescue operations remain critical.