Myanmar’s flooding toll rose to 74 as of Friday evening, according to a state media report.
Heavy Rains And Floods
This happened after heavy rains triggered widespread floods across the war-torn country.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with at least 89 people missing as of Friday evening, the report said.
Impact Of Typhoon Yagi
Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has caused adverse weather and killed hundreds of people in Vietnam and Thailand.
Flood waters from swollen rivers have inundated cities in both countries.
Flooding In Myanmar
The flooding in Myanmar began last Monday and at least 19 people had been killed by Friday morning.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a military coup in February 2021 and violence has engulfed large parts of the impoverished country.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the storm’s rains mainly affected the capital Naypyidaw, as well as the Mandalay, Magway, and Bago regions.
The eastern and southern Shan state, Mon, Kayah and Kayin states, were also affected.
Impact On Central Myanmar
“Central Myanmar is currently the hardest hit, with numerous rivers and creeks flowing down from Shan hills,” OCHA told Reuters via email.
Reports of more deaths and landslides have emerged.
Information-gathering has been challenging due to
damaged infrastructure and downed phone and internet lines.
State media also reported that five dams, four pagodas, and more than 65,000 houses were destroyed by the flooding.
Need For Aid From Foreign Countries
Myanmar’s Army Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said government officials must contact foreign countries for aid for the victims.
Need for Humanitarian Assistance
About a third of Myanmar’s 55 million people require humanitarian assistance.
Many aid agencies, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, however cannot operate in many areas because of access restrictions and security risks.
(With Inputs From Reuters)
