46 killed as Durian hits Vietnam

Hanoi: At least 46 people have been killed after tropical storm Durian hit the south coast of Vietnam.

More than 300 people were injured and thousands of homes were destroyed after the storm continued on its path through south-east Asia, registering wind speeds of around 120 kph.

The deaths brought Vietnam's storm-related death toll to 49 - three fishermen drowned Monday when their boat capsized as the storm approached.

The storm, which has been downgraded from a typhoon, could have killed more than 1,000 people after it devastated the Philippines last week.

Weather forecasters said the storm was expected to continue weakening as it moved into the Gulf of Thailand.

When it lashed the Philippines on Thursday, wind speeds reached as high as with 265kph.