Central Vietnam Battered by Typhoon Molave

Fallen trees are left lying across roads and homes without roofs in some of the worst destruction seen in years after Typhoon Molave hit central Vietnam. Two people have been reported killed in Quang Ngai province while trying to protect their homes from the storm.

READ MORE: Typhoon Molave made landfall along the central coastline about noon local time with winds up to 135 kilometers per hour.

Prior to landfall, thousands of people were evacuated from the storm's path, Reuters reported, and those who stayed home were told to remain indoors.

"I can see bits of roof, perhaps mine included, and tree branches flying under sky thick with clouds," Nguyen Van Muoi, a Binh Dinh province resident, told Reuters.

Local TV footage has aired scenes of wind toppling trees in Quang Ngai, while roads in nearby Phu Yen province appeared littered with fallen power lines, trees and billboards, AP reported, adding that the winds blew the roofs off homes and destroyed fish farms.

Some 250,000 soldiers stood at the ready to assist in the rescue and recovery process, according to news reports.

"We are mounting one of our biggest relief operations ever," Vietnam Red Cross President Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu said in a statement, which also called for $4 million in relief funds.

LINK: www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/typhoon-molave-blasts-central-vietnam