Typhoon Damrey floods Vietnam's tourist city Hoi An as death toll rises to 69

The death toll from typhoon downpours and floods wreaking havoc along Vietnam's south-central coast has risen to 69, an official said Tuesday, as the country opens its doors to world leaders for this week's APEC summit.

Nguyen Thi Vui paddles her boat in the flooded streets of Hoi An, Vietnam, Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. Source: AAP

Typhoon Damrey struck just before Vietnam was set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Danang, which will bring together US President Donald Trump, China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin, among other leaders.

While Danang itself was spared the worst damage, muddy floodwaters have submerged the hardest-hit provinces and swamped nearby Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was set to host APEC spouses later this week.

On Tuesday an official from Vietnam's search and rescue committee told AFP the death toll had reached 69, with victims perishing in floods, landslides and capsized boats at sea.

"We are looking for more than 20 others," the official added.

Authorities said rivers were raging as reservoirs filled up to near capacity in central and southern provinces, with rain still pelting some areas.

People ride a boat in flooded street in Hoi An, Vietnam, Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. Source: AAP

More than 100,000 houses nationwide are still under water, according to a Tuesday report from Vietnam's disaster management authority.

Since the storm made landfall on Saturday 69 people have perished in floods, landslides and on capsized boats at sea, while 30 others are still missing, the government said.

UNICEF said at least four children were among the dead, with two others missing and an estimated one million young people affected by one of the worst storms to hit the area in years.

Authorities warned that raging rivers were filling reservoirs to near-capacity in central and southern provinces, with rain still pelting down in some areas.

Typhoon Damrey, which made landfall on Saturday, is the latest in a string of major storms to thrash Vietnam's long coastline this year.

Flooding and landslides in northern and central regions killed more than 70 people last month.

In September, Typhoon Doksuri tore through central Vietnam, killing 11 people and decimating communities across several provinces.

The country has reported at least 240 people dead or missing in floods and landslides since the beginning of the year.