Flash floods hit north Vietnam, 80 dead or missing

HANOI, Aug 9 (Reuters) - More than 80 people died or were missing in three provinces of northern Vietnam after tropical storm Kammuri brought heavy rain, landslides and flash floods, the government said on Saturday.

The mountainous province of Lao Cai, bordering China, was the most seriously hit with at least 66 people reported missing, it said.

The government issued an urgent call for the immediate rescue and evacuation of people from areas vulnerable to flash floods.

The National Meteorology Centre said at least five people were missing in Lao Cai's resort town of Sapa, popular with foreign backpackers, but it was not known if any foreigners were among the victims.

"Most of the national highways, inter-province roads and local roads have been blocked and work is under way to search for the missing," an official from Lao Cai's weather centre said by telephone. (Reporting by Nguyen Nhat Lam, editing by Tim Pearce)