Flash floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Vicente have killed at least five and three others are missing in Vietnam's northern mountainous provinces over the past few days, Vietnam's state-run news agency reported on Friday.

Among those killed was a family of three people in Tuyen Quang province, one in Lao Cai province and one in Son La province.

Initial reports from the localities said that hundreds of hectares of crops had been inundated and many houses destroyed.

About 20 families living in Son La province, some 200 km west of capital Hanoi, were evacuated to a safer place to avoid flash floods and landslides.

In Dien Bien province alone, some 300 km west of capital Hanoi, the damage is estimated to be up to one billion Vietnamese dong ( about 48,000 U.S. dollars).

Local governments and related agencies have mobilized rescue teams to help residents.