Tropical storm kills 4, causes widespread damage in Vietnam

 - Tropical Storm Lekima brought strong winds and heavy rains as it slammed into Vietnam's central coast, killing at least four people and causing damage totaling more than 41 million dollars, an official said Friday.

   With sustained wind speeds up to 117 kilometres per hour, the storm hit Vietnam's central provinces of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh.

Originally categorized as a typhoon, it was downgraded to a depression on Thursday.

The storm also injured 59 people, damaged 76,800 houses and inundated more than 35,000 hectares of crops, according to Nguyen The Luong, director of the National Flood and Storm Department.

   Vietnam initially prepared to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people from coastal areas days before the typhoon hit. But as the storm weakened, efforts were scaled back.

   Officials are still stinging from Typhoon Chanchu that killed some 200 people in May of last year. Most of those who died were fishermen, who despite clear weather forecasts, were never warned of the impending storm.

   Local authorities now fear that the ongoing heavy rain triggered by the storm may cause floods and landslides in northern provinces. Some areas reported rainfall of between 200 and 530 millimetres Wednesday.

   "Central and northern provinces must always watch out for possible floods and landslides," Luong said.

   The heavy rain in Vietnam might also be fueled by another storm named Krosa, which is heading to Taiwan. Packing wind speeds of 184 kilometres per hour, typhoon Krosa is forecast to hit Taiwan's Pinglin Township on Saturday night.

   Floods and storms have killed at least 89 people in Vietnam since the beginning of the year. In 2006, more than 600 people were killed by floods and storms. dpa mao jh