Three fishermen remain unaccounted for after their boats capsized near Quang Tri province’s coastline.
Vietnam has deployed approximately 100,000 military personnel to assist in the evacuation of around 250,000 residents as Typhoon Bualoi intensifies and approaches the nation, prompting the closure of multiple airports.
Currently positioned over the sea, Bualoi is the tenth typhoon to impact Vietnam this year. It is generating sustained winds reaching 130 km/h (80 mph) and is forecasted to make landfall later on Sunday, according to the national meteorological agency.
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The meteorological office described Bualoi as “a fast-moving storm-traveling at nearly double the usual speed-with significant strength and a wide-reaching impact zone. It poses a threat of multiple concurrent natural hazards, including fierce winds, intense rainfall, flooding, flash floods, landslides, and coastal surges.”
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged authorities to maintain the “highest state of preparedness” as the typhoon enters Vietnamese waters, as reported by the government newspaper Viet Nam News.
Prior to the storm’s arrival, Viet Nam News confirmed that three fishermen from Ho Chi Minh City are missing after one boat sank and another was incapacitated by rough seas off Quang Tri province. Meanwhile, eight others were successfully rescued.
The two vessels were located approximately 1.5 kilometers (about 1 mile) from the entrance of the Cua Viet Channel, the report added.
In Da Nang, Vietnam’s largest urban center, official media stated that over 210,000 inhabitants are being evacuated. Additionally, more than 32,000 residents in the coastal city of Hue are being relocated to safer locations.
Authorities in Ha Tinh, a major steel manufacturing region, have arranged for the evacuation of upwards of 15,000 people to schools and healthcare facilities repurposed as temporary shelters, AFP reported, citing local officials.
The city administration has also mobilized over 200 workers equipped with trucks, sandbags, bamboo poles, and stones to strengthen coastal defenses, according to VN Express.
Reports indicate that four domestic airports have ceased operations, and all fishing vessels within the typhoon’s projected path have been ordered to return to port.
Coastal residents have been instructed to secure their boats and property in preparation for the storm.
Nguyen Cuong, 29, a Ha Tinh resident, shared with AFP, “I’m somewhat worried but remain optimistic that the aftermath will be manageable. We were safe after the recent Typhoon Kajiki, and I hope this one will be similar or less severe.”
On Friday, Bualoi struck the Philippines, causing landslides and flooding. Philippine media report that 10 people have died, with another 10 still missing.
Experts caution that storms are intensifying as global temperatures rise, a consequence of human-induced climate change.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that over 100 individuals have died or gone missing due to natural disasters in the first seven months of 2025.
In July, a sudden thunderstorm capsized a tourist boat in Ha Long Bay, resulting in at least 37 fatalities and five missing persons.
Vietnam experienced economic damages totaling $3.3 billion in September 2024 from Typhoon Yagi, which devastated northern regions and caused hundreds of deaths.
