Vietnam Evacuates 30,000 Ahead of Typhoon Bualoi

Vietnam announced the evacuation of nearly 30,000 residents from coastal areas on Sunday as Typhoon Bualoi struck the country’s central steel-producing region.

The storm, the tenth to affect Vietnam this year, made landfall after 10 PM local time (16:00 GMT) with winds reaching 130 kilometres per hour (80 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.

Provinces and cities stretching from Ninh Binh to Quang Ngai evacuated over 28,500 people. Authorities reported one death and four people missing, according to Vietnam’s disaster and dyke management authority.

In Ha Tinh, a key steel-production hub, over 15,000 residents were moved to schools and medical centres converted into temporary shelters. Nearly 117,000 military personnel have been mobilised to assist with the operation.

Nguyen Cuong, 29, a resident of Ha Tinh City, told AFP: “I feel a bit anxious but still hopeful that everything will be fine in the aftermath. We were all safe after the recent typhoon Kajiki. I hope this one will be the same or less severe.”

State media quoted Mai Van Khiem, director of the national weather centre, saying: “This is a fast-moving storm with very strong intensity and a wide area of impact, capable of causing a combination of various types of natural disasters such as strong winds, heavy rain, floods, landslides, and coastal inundation.”

Four domestic airports were temporarily closed, and all fishing boats in the projected path of the typhoon were recalled to harbour.

Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as global temperatures rise due to human-driven climate change.

In Vietnam, over 100 people were killed or went missing due to natural disasters in the first seven months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Last September, Typhoon Yagi caused $3.3 billion in economic losses across northern Vietnam and claimed hundreds of lives, highlighting the growing threat posed by severe storms.

The Vietnamese government continues to monitor Typhoon Bualoi closely and has urged residents to stay in shelters and avoid flooded areas as the storm progresses.