Rains from Typhoon Bualoi flood homes in Hanoi, disrupt transport

Vietnam's most devastating storm this year brought heavy rains that triggered floods across its north, disrupting flights and train services with the capital, Hanoi, where schools were closed and many homes inundated, authorities said on Tuesday.

The death toll rose to 26, with 22 missing, state media said a day after Typhoon Bualoi made landfall in northern central Vietnam, bringing huge sea swells, strong winds and downpours.

Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines cancelled or rescheduled several flights with the capital's Noi Bai international airport "for the safety of passengers," it said. "The weather condition in Hanoi is evolving in a complicated manner, with stormy rains that affect visibility and operations," it added.

State-run Vietnam Railways Corp has also suspended most of its services between Hanoi and the business hub of Ho Chi Minh City, a company official said.

Rainfall exceeded 300 mm in several parts of Vietnam over the past 24 hours, the national weather agency said, as it warned of a risk of landslides and flash flooding.

Thunder and lightning accompanied persistent downpours that flooded streets in downtown Hanoi and paralysed traffic in many areas. Photographs on state media showed cars and motorbikes marooned in the water, many with dead engines. Several schools closed by mid-day.

Villages in northern central Vietnam were flooded with no road access or power, state media said, while waters rose close to the roofs of houses in villages in Nghe An province, images on state broadcaster VTV showed.

The government said 105 people were injured and more than 135,000 homes damaged, most of them in the provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, while more than 63,000 acres of rice and crops had been inundated.

With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to typhoons that often also bring heavy rains that cause severe flooding. Last week, Bualoi killed at least 10 in the Philippines.