Tornadoes in Vietnam’s Ninh Binh kill 9, injure 18 during storm Bualoi

According to the provincial Civil Defense Steering Committee, fatalities were reported in Hai Thinh, Hai Anh, Quy Nhat, Hong Phong, Gia Hung, and Chat Binh Communes.

Injuries were concentrated in Hai Thinh, Quy Nhat, Hai Anh, Hong Phong, and Chat Binh.

The storms also destroyed 11 houses, damaged or unroofed 126 more, and hit five schools, a medical station, and two market halls.

Dozens of power poles, trees, and rice fields were damaged.

Major General Nguyen Huu Manh, chief of the provincial Department of Public Security, visited Quy Nhat Commune, where four residents were killed by tornadoes, to console families of the victims.

Local police forces have been mobilized to clear fallen trees, help residents move belongings to safe places, and prevent further accidents.

Authorities have ordered heightened monitoring of weather developments, urgent reinforcement of dike systems, and the evacuation of vulnerable households, especially in coastal and flood-prone areas.

Storm Bualoi, the 10th storm to strike the East Vietnam Sea this year, made landfall in Ha Tinh Province, north-central Vietnam in the early hours of Monday, toppling houses and power poles, and causing widespread power outages.

As of 2:15 pm on Monday, storm Bualoi had left 13 people dead, 13 missing, and 41 others injured, according to an official disaster report.

The fatalities included nine in Ninh Binh, two in Hung Yen Province, one in Thanh Hoa Province, and one in Hue City.

By 2:00 pm, the storm had weakened into a tropical depression after moving into northern Laos, about 50km from the Vietnam-Laos border, with sustained winds of 39-61 kph, said Mai Van Khiem, head of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The storm may continue to weaken into a low-pressure system and dissipate tonight.

Although Bualoi has weakened, its circulation is still bringing strong winds of 39-61 kph, gusting 75-102 kph, to coastal areas from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa Provinces, along with heavy rainfall across northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa.

Strong winds and high waves also persist in the Gulf of Tonkin.