*

Typhoon Bualoi causes severe damage in Vietnam, kills 13

people

*

13 people remain missing, 46 others injured

*

Storm weakens to depression as it moves into Laos

(Updates tolls, damages throughout)

By Khanh Vu and Thinh Nguyen

NGHE AN/HANOI, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Typhoon Bualoi tore

through Vietnam's coast on Monday, killing at least 13 people

and injuring 46, the government said, while accompanying strong

winds and rains damaged homes, snapped power links and flooded

roads.

Bualoi weakened into a depression heading for Laos after

having made landfall early on Monday, and had whipped up waves

as much as 8 m (26 ft) high as it moved along the northern

central coast, the national weather agency said.

Among the missing are fishermen whose boats were washed away

off the province of Quang Tri, while another fishing boat lost

contact, the government's disaster management agency said.

"I stayed awake the whole night, fearing the door would be

pulled off by strong winds," said Ho Van Quynh of Nghe An

province.

TRYING TO PROTECT HOMES

His neighbours said they spent the night trying to protect

their homes after their apartment building lost power.

"I've witnessed many storms, and this is one of the

strongest," said 45-year-old Nguyen Tuan Vinh.

The government evacuated more than 28,500 people before the

typhoon hit, while hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled

by the closure of four airports in central provinces.

Strong winds killed nine people and injured seven in the

province of Ninh Binh, the Vietnam News Agency said.

One person died in floodwaters in Hue city, and a falling

tree killed another in Thanh Hoa province, the disaster

management agency said.

Bualoi has damaged more than 44,000 homes, inundated nearly

6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) of rice and other crops, and cut

access to several areas, the government said.

NO MAJOR INDUSTRIAL DAMAGE REPORTED

It mentioned no major damage to industrial properties,

though large factories in or near the typhoon's path included

some owned by Foxconn ( FXCOF ), Formosa Plastics,

Luxshare and Vinfast.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered the defence and

public security ministries to urgently send troops and policemen

to help tackle the storm's aftermath.

The cyclone has triggered heavy rains across most of Vietnam

since Saturday, prompting authorities to warn of a high risk of

severe floods and landslides.

Water rose to alarming levels in rivers and reservoirs in

the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa, the government

said, with tens of thousands of families also hit by power

blackouts.

Rainfall of 500 mm (20 inches) was forecast in several areas

over the period from Sunday night through Tuesday, weather

authorities said.

With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is

prone to typhoons that often form east of the Philippines, where

Bualoi killed at least 10 people last week.