Hanoi  - Flash floods triggered by heavy rains have killed four people and left three missing in central Vietnam, authorities said Monday.

A low pressure zone over the South China Sea has caused rains since Friday of up to 272 millimetres in some central Vietnamese provinces, according to the country's Central Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control.

The rains have caused flash floods that killed two people each in the provinces of Thua Thien Hue and Danang.

Floods also injured nine people, submerged about 5,000 hectares of rice and cereal fields, and flooded more than a thousand houses in Danang city. Roads have been damaged, and some schools have been closed.

Weather authorities warned Monday that more flash floods are likely in the next few days because the low pressure zone is moving slowly.

Vietnam is a disaster-prone country where heavy rains and flooding kill hundreds every year.

Last year, natural disasters killed 550 people in Vietnam and caused damage amounting to more than 700 million dollars. (dpa)