Two people are dead and 17 others are missing after Typhoon Bualoi hit Vietnam, with houses damaged and power grids knocked out as the storm brought flooding rains and huge swells before losing some of its strength as it headed towards Laos.

Bualoi had moved along Vietnam's northern central coastline before making landfall early on Monday, causing waves as high as eight metres, according to the national weather agency.

One person died after being caught in floodwater in Hue city, and another was killed by a falling tree in Thanh Hoa province, the government's disaster management agency said.

Seventeen fishermen were missing after huge waves hit two fishing boats off Quang Tri province, while another fishing boat lost contact during the storm, according to the agency.

"I've witnessed ma

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