Tropical storm Kammuri battered nine northern provinces over the weekend, causing floods that have almost completely cut off villages in the Lao Cai province, which borders China and neighboring Yen Bai.
Tens of thousands of homes were destroyed or badly damaged as river waters rose to their highest level in the last 22 years, the center said.
Floods and landslides blocked almost all the motorways and railways in the provinces. Local officials said however on Tuesday that railway traffic from Lao Cai to Hanoi has been restored.
More than 1,100 military troops are involved in the rescue operation. The delivery of aid to the area by helicopters has been complicated by weather conditions. Meanwhile, meteorologists have warned that floods will continue for the next two or three days.
