Typhoon Molave batters Vietnam, leaving at least 35 people dead

Landslides, which hit remote areas in the central province of Quang Nam late on Wednesday, killed at least 19. State media said 12 fishermen died at sea

The government said Typhoon Molave had left millions of people without electricity and damaged 56,000 houses

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Hoi An residents commute in the aftermath of Typhoon Molave. Photo: EPA

Published: 1:25pm, 29 Oct 2020Updated: 4:36pm, 29 Oct 2020

Vietnam deployed hundreds of soldiers and heavy machinery on Thursday to search for survivors after landslides triggered by torrential rains from Typhoon Molave, one of the strongest typhoons in the region in decades.

The landslides, which hit remote areas in the central province of Quang Nam late on Wednesday, killed at least 19 with 45 missing as rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather at the tail end of the storm, the government said. State media said 12 fishermen died at sea.

“We can forecast the storm path or the amount of rain, but can’t predict when landslides happen,” Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said in a statement. “The road is covered under deep mud and heavy rains are still lashing the area, but rescue work has to be carried out quickly.”

State television said the bodies of 12 fishermen were found on Thursday after their boats sank when trying to return to shore two days earlier. Two navy vessels had been mobilised to find them and 14 were still missing.

A woman works in a barbershop damaged by the Typhoon Molave in Quang Ngai province. Photo: Reuters

Since early October, Vietnam has been battered by storms, heavy rains and floods which have affected over a million people.