Typhoon kills 50 in Vietnam

Residents clean up a collapsed structure in Ben Tre province in the Mekong river delta after being hit by tropical storm Durian yesterday. At least 50 people died and 12 others are reported missing as the storm battered Vietnam's several southern provinces. PHOTO: AFP

State-run Vietnam Television showed footage of a hospital receiving injured patients in Ba Ria Vung Tau province, which recorded 23 deaths, the largest number in the country. The roofs of houses were ripped off, electrical pylons and trees felled.

"It's the hardest storm we've ever felt," one resident near commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City told VTV. One of Vietnam's deputy prime ministers Le Thanh Hai said the government would help residents rebuild their homes.

At least 50 people were killed and 46 reported missing in five provinces -- Ba Ria Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Thuan, Vinh Long and Tien Giang -- and a commune on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City.