A landslide in Tra Leng Commune, Nam Tra My District has left 45 people missing, a district representative said. Rescue efforts have been difficult due to impacts from the now-devolved storm Molave, which triggered landslides and disrupted traffic from central areas of Nam Tra My to Tra Leng Commune, about 25 km apart, the representative added.

Another landslide happened in Tra Van Commune, also in Nam Tra My, killing at least seven people, authorities said.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested the National Committee for Incident, Disaster Response and Search and Rescue, among other military and local authorities, to cooperate and use any method necessary to rescue victims of the two landslides.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, along with military and police leaders, have also gone to the Quang Nam Military Headquarters for an emergency meeting to discuss rescue methods Wednesday night.

Tra Leng and Tra Van communes are about 45 km apart. Both communes have difficult terrain not suited for smooth traffic.

Storm Molave, deemed to be the strongest storm to hit Vietnam in the last two decades, made landfall on central Vietnam and Central Highlands regions Wednesday morning. It has brought heavy rains and strong winds, which uprooted trees and damaged hundreds of houses and other structures. It devolved into a tropical depression Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Rainfall of up to 300 mm on average has been recorded in Quang Nam since 9 a.m. Wednesday.