3 months ago
22
The
death toll
in
Myanmar
after
Typhoon Yagi
hit the nation has risen to 74, a day after the country's junta made an unusual plea for international assistance, according to state media reports on Sunday.
The
floods
and landslides triggered by the typhoon have claimed nearly 350 lives across Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand since it struck the region last weekend, based on official data, AFP news agency reported.
The Global New Light of Myanmar reported that the floods resulted in 74 deaths and 89 people missing in the country till Friday evening.
The ongoing search and rescue efforts are taking place amidst the destruction of more than 65,000 houses and five dams, compounding the hardships faced by the nation, which has been embroiled in conflict since the
military coup
in 2021.
Nearly 240,000 people have been displaced, according to the reports. There were already 3.4 million displaced people in Myanmar at the beginning of September, according to the UN refugee agency, mostly because of war and unrest in recent years.
The central regions of Myanmar, including the areas surrounding the expansive, low-lying capital Naypyidaw, have seen vast stretches of farmland submerged. Reports of landslides in hilly areas have emerged, but the assessment of the situation has been hampered by damaged roads, bridges, and disrupted phone and internet services. State media indicated that the Sittaung and Bago rivers, which traverse central and southern Myanmar, remained above dangerous levels on Sunday, although water levels are anticipated to recede in the coming days.
According to state media, the authorities in Myanmar have established 82 "
relief camps
" to accommodate those displaced by the floods. Thailand's weather office issued a warning on Sunday, cautioning of further heavy rainfall in provinces along the Mekong River.
Saturday evening's state television news said 24 bridges, 375 school buildings, one Buddhist monastery, five dams, four pagodas, 14 electrical transformers, 456 lampposts and more than 65,000 houses were damaged by floods in central and eastern parts of the country, according to AP news agency.
The floods have exacerbated the plight of Myanmar, where more than 2.7 million people have already been displaced due to ongoing conflicts. In a rare move, Myanmar's junta chief requested foreign aid to address the flood situation, as reported by state media on Saturday. However, the military has previously obstructed or hindered humanitarian assistance from abroad, such as suspending travel authorizations for aid groups attempting to reach approximately one million victims of the powerful Cyclone Mocha that struck the western part of the country last year.
