Tropical Storm Talas has claimed at least 14 lives and damaged buildings and roads across northern and central Viet Nam after making landfall on Monday morning.

Roofs and tree branches are knocked down in Cua Lo Town, located in Nghe An Province on July 17, 2017. (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

According to Viet Nam's Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the storm has destroyed nearly 500 houses and over 1,400 hectares (3,460 acres) of rice crops across 9 provinces.

In Nghe An Province, the storm uprooted trees and swept away national highways, causing severe traffic jams.

The storm, the second to hit Viet Nam this year, has caused flight delays and cancellations, leaving many passengers stranded.

"I'm here to see some people off to Ho Chi Minh City, but their flight has been delayed for an hour," said Nguyen Xuan An, a local citizen.

According to the central committee, a woman in Nghe An's capital Vinh was killed when the roof of her house was ripped off by strong winds.

Ship tragedy

A 5,100-ton cargo ship carrying a crew of 13 capsized off Nghe An Province.  Six of the crew have been rescued, but one sailor was found dead, and the other 6 were still missing at 2.00 pm on Monday.

In Quang Binh Province, 7 people were also injured when another ship capsized.

Weather forecasters in Viet Nam are predicting a particularly stormy typhoon season this year, with 13-15 typhoons and tropical depressions expected to develop over the South China Sea, known in Viet Nam as the East Sea.  Three to 4 are likely to make landfall in central Viet Nam.

Last year, 10 typhoons and tropical depressions developed over the South China Sea, 4 of which hit Viet Nam's mainland.

(Source: VnExpress International)