Typhoon Bavi Slams China As Vietnam Mourns Deadly Tourist Boat Disaster

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BEIJING (Worthy News) – Typhoon Bavi made landfall in eastern China, uprooting trees and forcing more than two million people to evacuate.

The storm also battered Japanese islands and Taiwan and caused deadly landslides in the Philippines as it tracked across the Pacific.

Elsewhere in neighboring Vietnam, mourning continued after a deadly boat tragedy linked to rough weather killed more than a dozen Indian tourists whose human remains were transported to India.

Chinese authorities said Typhoon Bavi brought destructive winds and torrential rain to parts of the country’s eastern coast, prompting mass evacuations, disrupting transportation, and leaving emergency crews working to restore power and clear fallen trees. More than 650 flights were canceled, ferry services were suspended, and rail services were disrupted as officials sought to minimize casualties and damage.

VIETNAM MOURNS

The human remains of the 15 Indian tourists were flown Tuesday from Ho Chi Minh City to Mumbai aboard Vietnam Airlines flight VN979.

After arriving at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the victims were transported to their respective hometowns in coordination with Indian state authorities for funeral services. The bodies were sent to destinations including Chennai, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, and Coimbatore.

The Indian Embassy said it had worked closely with Vietnamese authorities to complete identification, documentation, and other consular formalities. It also thanked officials in Vietnam, “including authorities in the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, An Giang Province, Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Foreign Affairs, and Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry, for assisting victims and their families.”

The tragedy occurred on July 11 when a tourist speedboat carrying 36 people—32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members—capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai Island off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island.

ROUGH WEATHER

Vietnamese authorities said the vessel, operated by Ocean Pearl Island Company, was traveling from Hon May Rut Islet to An Thoi Port when it encountered rough weather and overturned, throwing everyone on board into the sea.

Nearby tourist boats rushed to the scene within minutes, while rescue teams brought survivors ashore. Twenty-one people survived, but 15 tourists died. Officials said the victims included 10 people from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and two from Kerala.

The Indian Embassy said the lone critically injured survivor underwent a successful medical procedure before being transferred from Phu Quoc to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for advanced treatment.

Although Typhoon Bavi weakened after making landfall, forecasters warned it remained dangerous because of the enormous amount of tropical moisture it carried.

REGIONAL CHALLENGES

Authorities warned that heavy rain could trigger additional flooding, landslides, and damage to roads, bridges, and power infrastructure as the storm moves farther inland.

The twin disasters highlighted the growing toll of extreme weather across Asia, threatening millions of people through destructive winds, torrential rainfall, flooding, landslides, and dangerous conditions at sea.

Despite major investments in flood-control projects, dams, drainage systems, and early-warning networks, increasingly intense seasonal storms continue to strain transportation, power, and water-management systems, experts say.

That has raised concerns about whether existing infrastructure can keep pace with rapid urbanization and increasingly severe weather events.

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