Twenty-seven people have lost their lives and 15 others have been reportedly missing or injured after tropical storm Kai-tak hit northern Vietnam on August 17, according to the National Committee for Search and Rescue.
   
The Committee earlier put the death toll at 3.

Yen Bai and Bac Giang provinces confirmed five deaths each, Vinh Phuc four, Phu Tho three, Son La two, Lang Son two, Hanoi two, Hai Duong one, Bac Ninh one, and Thai Nguyen one.

Three others remain missing, with one in Yen Bai, one in Hanoi and one in Vinh Phuc.

The storm also damaged and tore through the roofs of nearly 6,000 houses and submerged nearly 1,500hectares of rice and subsidiary crops.

Yen Bai was the hardest hit province, with 5,631 houses damaged or destroyed during the height of the storm when it swept through the province early on August 18.

Clean-up efforts are intensified by affected localities with various forces mobilised to clear traffic on roads blocked by landslides and fallen trees.  

Although the storm, the fifth of its kind in the East Sea this year, weakened into a low pressure system and is dissipating, it is forecast to cause heavy rains in the coming days.
Northern mountainous localities are warned against flash floods and landslides.

VOV