At least 54 people died and 39 went missing as destructive floods battered northern and central Vietnam this week, Vietnamese officials said on Friday.

In a statement, the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority said the storm that hit central Vietnam on Tuesday also injured 31 people and submerged more than 30,000 houses, damaged infrastructure, crops and livestock, ABC news reported.

The heavy rain in the central and northern regions has disrupted travel in some areas, limiting the rescue attempts for the missing, the statement added.

A disaster official from northern Yen Bai province, where six people have died from the floods, said 580 soldiers and police and more than 2,000 residents have been mobilized to search for another 16 still missing in the province.