The government of Vietnam declared a state of emergency on October 15 in the lead up to typhoon Sarika in parts of the nation already hit by torrential rain and floods that have left at least 21 people dead and missing and dozens injured, authorities said.

Police and army helicopters searched for the missing and evacuated hundreds from the flood zones in Quang Ninh, Ha Tinh and Quang Tri provinces.

A spokesperson for the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has described the damage as bad but cautions the worst is yet to come.

Already there are reports of three dead, four missing and seven injured in Quang Binh, said the spokesperson. In addition, there are reports of two dead and two injured in Thua Thien-Hue and another three injured in Quang Tri Province.

Many witnesses have described that victims drowned after being trapped in their houses when torrents suddenly swept through the area.  Some reports are that as many as 30,000 homes have been destroyed by flooding and high winds.

Trains running the North-South Line from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City through Quang Ninh Province have been suspended indefinitely.

Hundreds of homes and vehicles have been destroyed by the floods, roads are impassable and several areas are without electricity, the spokesperson said. Many parts of the Ho Chi Minh Highway are under two metres of water.

In Dong Hoi, city streets are engulfed in water. Hundreds of houses in Quang Binh are underwater.

Heavy rains and floods have also inundated thousands of houses in Ha Tinh Province. Many are reporting that local people in the village of Huong Giang had to climb to the top of their homes to escape the rising waters.

The whole Ha Tinh City looked like a river.

More torrential rain and strong winds are expected in the days to come as typhoon Sarika barrels towards Vietnam.