Packing maximum sustained winds of 117 kilometres (72 miles) an hour, the typhoon made landfall in central provinces where tens of thousands of people had already been evacuated in advance.

A 13-year old boy trying to anchor fishing boats and a man reinforcing the roof of his house were killed as the typhoon neared, while another 10 people were injured after it hit land, the officials said.

"Thanks to good preparation, especially in evacuating people, the consequences caused by the typhoon seem to be not considerable," said Bui Le Bac, head of a provincial flood and storm control committee.

He told AFP that because the epicentre hit a district of vast rice fields, "human loss and injuries were limited."

Classes had been suspended in several towns and their schools turned into temporary shelters for local residents.

On Tuesday, at least 96,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas. Officials had earlier said they had begun evacuating about 200,000 people but that was lowered as the typhoon changed direction.

Scores of domestic flights were cancelled or postponed, the Tuoi Tre daily reported.

Over the weekend, Lekima -- then classed as a tropical storm -- left nine people dead, one missing and another injured in the Philippines.

Weather forecasters here said the typhoon should have fallen further in intensity by the time it crosses into Laos later Thursday.

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