At least 25 people have been killed in Vietnam by the typhoon that has spread over the country since Wednesday. In addition, 40 people are missing, the government of the South Asian country reports.
Thirteen of the fatalities died when they faced landslides. Twelve fishermen died after their boats sank. Fourteen colleagues are still missing.
The now weakened Molave is the strongest typhoon in the region in decades. Hundreds of soldiers and excavators are deployed to find survivors. According to the government, the search is complicated by the persistent storm.
“We can predict the storm’s path and the amount of rain, but not where landslides will occur,” said Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung. “The road is buried deep in mud and heavy rain is still ravaging the area, but the rescue work needs to be done quickly.”
After Molave landed in Vietnam on Wednesday, the tropical depression is expected to pass over Laos on Thursday. In Vietnam, about 700 millimeters of rain is expected until Saturday. Earlier, the typhoon also triggered landslides in the Philippines, where the death toll rose to 16 on Thursday.
Storms, heavy rains and floods have hit Vietnam since the beginning of this month. More than a million people have been victims of the extreme weather events. According to the government, millions of residents are without electricity and 56,000 houses have been damaged by Molave.
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