Hanoi (AFP) – Typhoon Bolaven weakened in Laos after causing dozens of deaths in both Vietnam and the Philippines, according to authorities in both countries on Monday.

After hitting the Philippines last weekend, it reached Vietnam on Sunday evening, accompanied by winds reaching 130 kilometers per hour.

At least 13 people were killed and twenty went missing in Vietnam, according to the Natural Disaster Management authorities in an electronic statement.

More than 44,200 homes were damaged, mostly in Ha Tinh province in central Vietnam. Floodwaters inundated 800 houses and nearly 6,000 hectares of crops, according to the statement.

Photos taken by AFP showed tin roofs torn off by the wind amid scattered household debris on flooded streets in the coastal Nghe An area in northern Vietnam.

Trinh Thi Ly (71), living in the central Quang Tri area, told the official “Tuoi Tre” newspaper, “The wind tore off my roof which fell to the ground destroying everything around it. I had to take shelter at my neighbor’s house.”

Among the 13 victims in Vietnam, at least nine died during a storm caused by the typhoon that hit the provinces of Ninh Binh (north), Thanh Hoa (north), and Hue (central), according to authorities.

The same source announced that about twenty people were missing. Among them, nine were on fishing boats lost at sea on Sunday evening, according to police.

In the Philippines, the office of the Deputy Director of Civil Defense, Rafaelito Alejandro, reported that the death toll from Typhoon Bolaven had doubled to 27.

He explained that most victims either drowned or were injured by debris.

In preparation for the storm, about 400,000 people in the Philippines were asked to evacuate their homes.

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV said during mass at the Vatican, “In recent days, a typhoon with exceptional strength has struck several Asian provinces… I sympathize with the affected populations, especially the poorest among them,” calling for “solidarity.”

In Vietnam, more than 53,000 people were relocated to schools and medical centers converted into temporary shelters in anticipation of Bolaven’s arrival, according to authorities.

Four national airports and part of the national highway were closed on Monday. More than 180 flights were canceled or delayed, according to relevant authorities.

Bolaven is the tenth storm to hit Vietnam this year.

Some areas in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces (central), known for their steel factories, were left without electricity. Schools in the affected areas were closed.

Between January and August this year, 175 people were killed or went missing in Vietnam due to natural disasters, according to the General Statistics Office.

The total estimated damage was about $371 million, nearly three times higher than the same period in 2024, according to the Statistics Office.

In September 2024, Typhoon Yagi caused hundreds of casualties in Vietnam and caused damage worth $3.3 billion.

Each year, the Philippines is hit or approached by about 20 storms or typhoons. Usually, the poorest areas in the country are the most vulnerable to the impacts of natural disasters.

Bolaven follows Typhoon Ragas in northern Philippines, which killed 14 people.

Scientists say that climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe worldwide.