State media reported that landslides caused by torrential rainfall in the mountains of northern Vietnam have buried a van with 16 seats, killing 11 and leaving others missing.

The state-run Vietnam News Agency said that rescue teams, including soldiers and civilians from Ha Giang Province, found 11 dead and four wounded.

The report stated that local authorities did not know the exact number of passengers in the van and the rain and subsequent search and rescue efforts were complicated by the heavy rainfall.

The Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh instructed the local authorities to deal with this disaster as soon as possible and to be prepared to respond if there are any further floods or landslides.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the area has received around 280 mm of rain in the last 24 hours. The agency warned about flash floods and landslides caused by floods or currents occurring in Ha Giang province, Lao Cai province, Tuyen Quang province, and Yen Bai Province.

Vietnam is susceptible to natural disasters. Typhoons and floods kill hundreds of people each year. According to the government, natural disasters killed 389 people last year and injured 668 others. (Reporting and editing by William Mallard; Phuong Nguyen)