87 killed as storm lashes Vietnam

People walk along a flooded railroad in Binh Dinh province, in Vietnam (AP)

The death toll from Tropical Storm Mirinae has risen to 87 in Vietnam as authorities stepped up rescue and relief operations in affected areas of the central region.

In the hardest-hit province of Phu Yen, 26 more deaths were reported as information trickled in from isolated areas, bringing the death toll there to 65, disaster official Dang Thi Lanh said.

An additional 13 people are missing.

Elsewhere in the region, the storm and flooding left another 22 people dead and six others missing, according to disaster officials and the government's website.

In Phu Yen, soldiers in dozens of speed boats are rushing instant noodles, water and clothes to victims in flooded areas who have gone hungry for the past two to three days, she said. In addition, three military helicopters are dropping food to victims in isolated areas.

Although flood waters are beginning to recede, many areas remain inundated.

Authorities have evacuated nearly 15,000 people from Phu Yen. Some were rescued from rooftops, where they had scrambled to escape the overflowing Ha Thanh River.

In the neighbouring province of Binh Dinh, two military helicopters continue to drop food and water to villagers still stranded in isolated areas, said Ho Quoc Dung, deputy chairman of the provincial People's Committee.

The storm and flooding also left 52 people injured, destroyed or damaged 14,000 homes, and damaged about 12,400 acres of rice and other crops, according to the national committee for flood and storm control.

Mirinae hit the Philippines with typhoon strength over the weekend, killing 27 people before losing strength as it moved across the South China Sea toward Vietnam.