Authorities in Vietnam say at least 41 people have been killed in a barrage of torrential rain, flooding and landslides, as rescue crews worked to save stranded people from the rooftops of submerged homes.

Rainfall exceeded 150cm (60 inches) over the past three days in several parts of central Vietnam, a region home to a key coffee production belt and the country's most popular beaches.

At least 41 people have been killed across six provinces since Sunday, while the search was continuing for nine others, the environment ministry said on Thursday.

More than 52,000 houses were flooded, and nearly 62,000 people were evacuated from their homes, while several major roads remained blocked due to landslides, and one million customers were left without electricity.

A suspension bridge on the Da Nhim River in Lam Dong province was swept away on Thursday morning, the VietnamNet newspaper reported.

Photos taken by the AFP news agency also showed hundreds of cars underwater as flooding inundated entire city blocks in Nha Trang, a popular tourist spot on the coast.

Local business owner Bui Quoc Vinh said his ground-floor restaurants and shops were under about a metre (3.2 feet) of water in the city.

"I am worried about our furniture in my restaurants and shops, but of course I cannot do anything now," he told AFP.

"I don't think the water is going to recede soon, as the rain has not stopped."

The national weather forecast agency has warned of more flooding and landslides on Friday, with heavy rain set to continue in the region.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung told the leaders of three flood-affected provinces - Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak and Gia Lai - to mobilise the army, police and other security forces to "promptly relocate and evacuate people" to safe areas, according to a government statement.

Meanwhile, state media reported that rescuers using boats in Gia Lai and Dak Lak pried open windows and broke through roofs to assist residents stranded by high water on Wednesday.

Photographs shared in state media reports showed residents, including children, sitting on the roofs of flooded houses and calling for help via social media platforms.

"Any group out there please help! We've been sitting on the roof since 10pm last night, including kids and adults," a resident of Khanh Hoa province posted on a local Facebook page.

Natural disasters have left 279 people dead or missing in Vietnam and caused more than $2bn in damage between January and October, according to the national statistics office.

Comment: Update November 22

News.az reports:

Some areas recorded more than 1,900 mm (74.8 inches) of rainfall over the past week — an extreme level that has inundated large parts of the region. Central Vietnam is a major coffee-growing area and a popular tourism hub, but it is highly vulnerable to severe storms and seasonal flooding, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Dak Lak province reported the highest number of casualties, with 27 deaths.

Khanh Hoa province reported 14 deaths, with search and rescue efforts continuing in several districts.

The Vietnamese government estimates the economic toll at 8.98 trillion dong ($341 million), reflecting widespread damage to infrastructure, agriculture and homes.

More than 235,000 houses were flooded, and nearly 80,000 hectares of crops — including key agricultural commodities — were destroyed or severely affected, the disaster agency said.

See as well this related report from the end of last month: World's second-heaviest 24-hour rainfall total recorded of 1,739 millimeters (5 FEET, 8 inches) in Hue, Vietnam - at least 37 killed (UPDATED)