Floods, landslides in northern Vietnam kill seven, leave 12 missing

HANOI (Reuters) - Flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains have killed at least seven people and left 12 missing in northern Vietnam since Saturday, the government's Disaster Management Authority said on Monday.

All of the victims are from the mountainous provinces of Lai Chau and Ha Giang, where the floods and landslides have also injured five people, the agency said in a statement.

"Rain has subsided in Lai Chau province, but we fear that the death toll will continue to rise as the chance for the missing to be found alive is very thin," said Vu Van Luat, a disaster management official in the province.

The floods and landslides have also caused damages worth over 76 billion dong (2.5 million pounds) to houses, roads and crops in the province, according to the statement.

Vietnam is prone to natural disasters, with floods and typhoons killing hundreds of people each year. Natural calamities killed 389 people and injured 668 others in the country last year, according to the government.

(Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by Michael Perry)