The Vietnamese authorities say over two hundred people are now known to have been killed in the storm which swept through the centre of the country last week, and a further fifteen are still missing.

The official report by the Vietnamese Central Committee for Storm and Flood Control also estimates the cost of the storm damage at forty million dollars.

Officials say a second tropical storm which hit the afflicted area this week has been less severe than expected, and the situation has now stabilised.

Over four-hundred-thousand homes were flooded during last week's freak weather, and road and rail transport was disrupted.