"Heavy rain hit several provinces. Thousands of houses were flooded," said Nguyen Van Hung, an official from the flood and storm committee in the central city of Danang.

The 12 people were killed, and 11 were injured, in the central provinces of Quang Ngai, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam.

A Filipino expert working at Bong Mieu gold mine in Quang Ngai province was missing Wednesday, Hung added.

"The typhoon has started to weaken and we are now focusing on dealing with floods," he said adding it was currently moving along the coast and heading north. It was unclear whether it would hit land.

State media said provinces were instructed to issue an alert for flash floods and landslides as the water level was expected to rise.

At least 11 fishing boats sank or were swept away but no casualties were reported among the fishermen.

Thousands of hectares of farmland have been destroyed and traffic was disrupted in the region.

In Hoi An, a seaside resort with a vast beach and a traditional village, more than 3,000 people had been evacuated. Electricity was cut in Danang for a few hours on Tuesday.

Most flights to Hue and Danang were cancelled Tuesday and Chinese President Hu Jintao, who had been expected to visit the central region, shortened his stay and left the country early Wednesday.

In Quang Nam province about 15,000 people had been displaced and thousands of soldiers and police have been mobilised, Hung said.

The region is prone to seasonal flooding and frequent typhoons that often cause widespread destruction and loss of life.

Thirty-one people were killed over the past two weeks by floods in the region. Infrastructure and dykes have already been severely damaged.

On Tuesday Prime Minister Phan Van Khai decided to provide 450 tonnes of rice from the national reserve to people in three flood-stricken central provinces, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue.

In September Typhoon Damrey, packing winds of 200 kilometres (125 miles) per hour, left at least 111 people dead during its sweep through East Asia -- 63 in Vietnam, 25 in China, 16 in the Philippines, and seven in Thailand.

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