WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday offered condolences to the victims of heavy floods in central Vietnam which have killed at least 49 people.

"On behalf of President (Barack) Obama and the people of the United States, I offer our condolences for the destruction and loss of life caused by heavy rains and flooding in Vietnam," Clinton said in a statement.

"Our embassy in Hanoi has offered immediate relief assistance and is working with local authorities. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people of Vietnam, especially those affected by this tragedy."

Quang Binh was hardest-hit by the flooding sparked by heavy rain over recent days. The province recorded 33 dead and 13 missing, officials said Thursday.

Another 16 people died in Ha Tinh, Nghe An and Quang Tri provinces, with three missing.

Quang Tri is already a poverty-stricken province where more than 80 percent of the land is affected by unexploded munitions from the Vietnam War, according to an official survey last year.

Foreign tourists interested in the province's numerous wartime battle sites regularly visit the area.