HANOI, Vietnam — A typhoon that officials said was the most powerful to hit Vietnam in 20 years blew away from the country on Thursday after setting off landslides, sinking boats and knocking out power to at least 1.7 million people. At least 35 people were killed and more than 50 were missing, state media said.
The immediate focus for rescuers was on three villages in the country’s central region where landslides killed at least 19 people and are suspected of burying more than 40 others in thick mud and debris.
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung traveled to the site of one landslide where soldiers were working to clear debris with bulldozers and he ordered officers to urgently send more troops to help with the efforts.
“We must reach the landslide site the fastest way. First, send in more soldiers before we can get the big machine there. We have to reach the area by all means, including by using helicopters,” he said.
Also among the dead were 12 fishermen whose boats sank Wednesday as Typhoon Molave approached with winds of up to 93 miles per hour. Another 14 fisherman were still missing.
Officials said the death toll across the country may rise as some regions have been unable to report details of damage and casualties.
Rescuers dug up eight bodies Thursday morning in Tra Van village in Quang Nam province where a hillside collapsed on houses. The victims had taken shelter in the community as the typhoon approached, the official Vietnam News Agency reported.