Floods in Myanmar leave 419 dead, 89 missing and 631,000 displaced (UPDATED)

Bangkok Post
Fri, 13 Sep 2024 12:49 UTC

Flooding in Myanmar triggered by Typhoon Yagi has killed 17 people, the country's fire department said on Thursday.

At least 19 people were killed in Myanmar after heavy rains triggered floods in and around the war-torn country's capital city, with rescuers moving some of the 3,600 people displaced to safer areas on boats, according to the national fire service.

Adverse weather brought on by Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has killed more than 230 people in Vietnam and Thailand, and flood waters from swollen rivers have inundated cities in both countries.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since a military coup in February 2021, and violence has engulfed large parts of the impoverished country.

An armed rebellion, comprising of new resistance groups and established ethnic minority armies, is challenging the well-armed military, amid a crippling economic crisis that could be exacerbated by the floods.

About 162 square kilometres of area around the capital Naypyitaw was flooded on Thursday, according to satellite imagery analysis by the United Nations-backed Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU).

Another 366 sq km around Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, also appeared to be under water, according to the analysis.

"In total, 3,602 flood-affected people from 30 locations were rescued and moved," the fire department said in a Facebook post late on Thursday on its Naypyitaw operations, adding 19 people had been killed.

Some buildings were swamped by flood waters and residents, including women and children, were stranded on rooftops before they were brought down into boats by rescue workers, photographs posted by the department showed.

About a third of Myanmar's 55 million people require humanitarian assistance but many aid agencies, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, cannot operate in many areas because of access restrictions and security risks.

Reuters

Comment: Update September 17

Al Jazeera reports:

At least 236 people have been confirmed dead after Typhoon Yagi caused severe flooding in several regions of Myanmar.

Some 77 people remain missing, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Tuesday, citing official figures.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicated the toll could be even higher.

"Multiple sources indicate that hundreds of people have died, with many more missing," it said in an update on Monday, saying an estimated 631,000 people might have been affected by the floods.

Typhoon Yagi, one of the strongest storms to hit the region this year, swept across southern China, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar last week bringing torrential rain. Hundreds have already been confirmed dead in northern Vietnam.

In Myanmar, flooding has affected at least nine regions and states including the capital Naypyidaw, as well as the central Mandalay region as well as Kayah, Kayin and Shan States.

Update September 20

CGTN reports:

The death toll from Myanmar's floods has risen to 293, with 89 people still missing, as of Thursday morning, state-run daily The Mirror reported on Friday.

The floods have affected dozens of townships in regions and states across the country, including Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, according to the report.

As of Thursday morning, a total of 161,592 flood victims from 47,019 households were taking shelter at 425 relief facilities, the report said.

The floods have also submerged over 300,000 hectares of crops and killed 129,150 animals, the report added.

The widespread flooding in the Southeast Asian country was caused by heavy rains triggered by Typhoon Yagi and a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Update September 22

AFP reports:

The death toll in Myanmar in the wake of Typhoon Yagi has climbed to 384, with 89 people missing, the junta said on Saturday.

Yagi swept across northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar more than a week ago, triggering floods and landslides that have killed hundreds of people across the region.

Update September 25

Xinhua reports:

Severe floods in Myanmar have caused significant devastation with a death toll of 419 as of Tuesday morning, according to the State Administration Council.

Over 140,000 people were affected by the floods, which have devastated over 750,000 acres of paddy fields and killed over 100,000 animals.

Additionally, the floods have destroyed 253 religious buildings, 926 roads and bridges, lamp posts and communication towers.