Typhoon Molave death toll rises

Rescue workers in Vietnam on Thursday used heavy equipment to search for survivors and clear roadways after the storm triggered heavy rainfall and landslides. Authorities said at least 35 people died and 59 others are missing, including crew members from two sunken fishing boats. The death toll will likely rise as workers reach inaccessible areas. The typhoon is the strongest to hit the country in about 20 years.

What is the extent of the damage? The storm blew off roofs of about 56,000 houses and triggered a blackout in Quang Ngai province that affected 1.7 million people. In Tra Leng village, a landslide buried a community of about 45 people, and only four of them escaped. Vietnam’s weather agency said heavy rainfall would continue in the hard-hit central region until Saturday. Typhoon Molave killed at least 16 people in the Philippines before it blew across the South China Sea to Vietnam on Wednesday.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read June Cheng’s report on a minority group spreading the gospel in Vietnam.