16 dead, dozens missing in Vietnam landslides

Sixteen people were killed and dozens left missing Thursday after landslides triggered by a typhoon hit central Vietnam , prompting a desperate search for survivors as the country battles some of the worst weather seen in years .

Typhoon Molave hit villages in the central provinces on Wednesday , reportedly killing two people as it knocked down trees , tore roofs off homes , and brought heavy rain to an area already badly affected by weeks of flooding .

Following two separate landslides on Wednesday , 53 people were reported missing across two villages in Quang Nam province, authorities said . The bodies of 16 of them had so far been pulled from the mud , according to state media .

“ This is a very serious accident , burying many people , ” said Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung , adding : “ The route for rescuers to access them is very difficult . ”

Soldiers were among a search team battling to reach the site through fallen trees and mud that had blocked roads , authorities said .

Typhoon Molave was Vietnam ’ s fourth storm this month and forced authorities to relocate around 375, 000 people to safety , cancel hundreds of flights , and close schools and beaches .

It made landfall south of Danang packing winds of up to 145 kilometres per hour ( 85 miles per hour ) , before weakening to a tropical depression on Thursday .

Residents told how they had lost everything in the typhoon.

“ My roof and everything in my house were blown away . Only the frame of the house is left , ” said 64 - year - old Vo Thi Theu from Quang Ngai province.

Twenty - six fishermen were also still missing on Thursday , with helicopters and navy ships deployed to look for their two vessels that disappeared before the storm made landfall .

The typhoon came on the back of weeks of severe flooding and landslides that have claimed 130 lives and damaged or destroyed more than 310, 000 homes , according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies ( IFRC) .

Close to 1 . 2 million people were in “ severe danger” and in need of relief , the IFRC warned .

Hoang Phuong Thao , executive director of ActionAid Vietnam , said : “ Typhoon Molave is causing further death and destruction in Vietnam after communities have already had their lives and livelihoods torn apart by the worst flooding we ’ ve seen in decades” .

Vietnam is prone to natural disasters in the rainy season between June and November , with central coastal provinces commonly impacted, but the storms have notably worsened in recent years .

( AFP )