Almost 34,000 people have been forced from their homes in the south-central coastal provinces of Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen after up to 400 millimetres (16 inches) of rain fell since late last week, the national flood and storm control department said.

In addition to the eight dead, six other people were missing, it said.

Dantri International news website reported that the discharge of water from hydroelectric reservoirs in Phu Yen added to the flooding there.

In early October floods that struck further north centred on Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces, leaving at least 64 people dead.

Ha Tinh was hit again later in the month after more heavy rain caused inundations that killed at least 74 people in the central region. The victims included 20 bus passengers whose vehicle was swept off a highway.

Vietnam regularly suffers from tropical storms and flooding at this time of year.

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