Vietnam floods kill 18
Eighteen people have been killed and a further 16 are missing, feared dead, as a result of torrential rains that triggered flash floods and landslides in Vietnam's mountainous north.
Forty-four people were also injured as a result of the storm that hit Ha Giang province on Sunday and swept away 18 houses in the Yen Minh district.
Police and soldiers had been deployed to search for the missing in two of the district's worst affected villages, home to the Hmong and Tay ethnic minorities, but say the chances of finding them alive are slim.
Tan Xuan Hien, a district official, said five bodies were recovered on Tuesday and a further 13 were found a day later.
The rains have not let up since Sunday, complicating rescue efforts in the province, which borders China.
SBS The Wold news - July 21, 2004.
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