Among the dead are twelve fishermen, who were found dead after falling into distress at sea when they tried to get to safety before the storm arrived on Tuesday.
Several fishermen are still missing.
Hundreds of soldiers are searching for survivors while continued severe weather is hampering rescue efforts.
According to the authorities, the tropical hurricane has caused power outages that affect several million people.
Central Vietnam expects continued downpours until the weekend.
"We can predict which way the storm will take and how much rain will fall, but we can not predict when landslides will occur," said Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung in a statement.
Since the beginning of October, Vietnam has been shaken by several severe storms, with rain, floods and over 100 dead as a result.
Tropical Hurricane Molave passed through the Philippines before reaching Vietnam.
There it caused floods and landslides and at least 16 people died.