Typhoon Bualoi kills dozens in Vietnam, Philippines

A TYPHOON that ripped roofs off homes has killed dozens of people across Vietnam and the Philippines, officials from both countries said yesterday, as a weakened storm Bualoi crossed into neighbouring Laos.

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The typhoon battered small islands in the centre of the Philippines last week, toppling trees and power pylons, unleashing floods and forcing 400 000 people to evacuate.

A Philippine civil defence official said yesterday the death toll there had more than doubled to 24, with most of the victims either drowned or hit by debris.

Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful as the world warms due to the effects of human-driven climate change.

In Vietnam, Bualoi made landfall as a typhoon at the weekend, generating winds of 130km per hour.