Vietnam estimates property damage from Typhoon Bualoi at $390 million

HANOI – Vietnam’s government said Typhoon Bualoi caused an estimated 8 trillion dong (S$390 million) in property damage this week, saying in a preliminary assessment on Oct 1 that nearly 170,000 houses were damaged or inundated by flooding.

Bualoi made landfall on

Sept 29

in northern central Vietnam, bringing huge sea swells, strong winds and heavy rain that have killed at least 29 people and left 22 others missing, according to the disaster management agency report.

The typhoon severely damaged roads, schools and offices, and caused power grid failures that left tens of thousands of families without electricity, the report said. More than 34,000ha of rice and other crops were destroyed, it said. 

The report did not mention any major damage to industrial properties.

Vietnam is a regional manufacturing hub, and large factories in or near the typhoon’s path included some owned by Foxconn, Formosa Plastics, Luxshare and Vinfast. The typhoon triggered floods across Vietnam’s north, and disrupted flights and train services in the capital, Hanoi, where schools were closed and many homes inundated.

With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to typhoons that are often deadly.

In 2024,

Typhoon Yagi killed around 300 people

and caused damage estimated at US$3.3 billion (S$4.25 billion) across northern Vietnam. REUTERS