Hundreds have joined a large-scale ground search in a mountainous central commune where 12 remain missing following a landslide two days ago. 

Soldiers of central Quang Nam Province make their way to Village No.1 of Tra Leng Commune, Nam Tra My District on Thursday where a landslide took place Wednesday afternoon.

The accident, triggered by torrential rains from Storm Molave, had buried 53 people in the commune. Of these, six are confirmed dead, while 33 survived. On Friday morning, two more bodies were found, with 12 still missing.

The storm, said to be the strongest to hit Vietnam in 20 years, had paralyzed power and telecommunication systems since Tuesday, severing all ties to the outside world.

Soldiers put aside what’s left of the 14 houses flattened by the landslide.

Prior to the arrival of rescue teams, more than 100 residents rushed to join the search for victims. 

A local uses a flashlight to locate landslide victims.

Barefoot, this man carried a wounded victim 12 km from where the accident took place to a national highway in search of help.

Ho Thi Hoa (L), 20, lost seven family members, including her four-year-old son, to the landslide. Working in Tam Ky Town of Quang Nam, she returned home immediately on hearing news of the accident. After arriving in Nam Tra My District by motorbike Thursday, she had to walk over 30 km from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to reach her village since the access road had been damaged.

The body of her father was found Thursday night.

Ho Thi Ha, 28, carries her youngest daughter. She said houses in the village stood right next to high mountains.

Early Wednesday, when Storm Molave approached the central region, rains preceded heavy downpours and strong winds. Ha had already sent two daughters aged eight and five to her parents’ house, located in a safer location. Yet around 1 p.m., she heard a huge blast before seeing soil and rock descend like a "waterfall." Scrambling to clear the debris, she quickly saved her two girls and her mother, but failed to rescue her father.

Ha’s oldest daughter Ha My suffered a broken leg. Military doctors gave the girl emergency aid and brought her to a hospital for treatment.

Locals dig up graves to bury victims whose bodies have been found.

The search was put on hold Thursday evening and resumed early Friday, with the help of sniffer dogs.

The landslide that buried a village of 100 square meters as seen from above.

Molave made landfall Wednesday morning before weakening into a tropical depression. It killed at least 21 people including 19 victims of landslides in Quang Nam Province, and left 42 others missing. Nearly 230 houses collapsed and some 88,600 others had their roofs blown away.