Floods wreak havoc in Myanmar, killing at least 226, state media says

Some 77 people are still missing after heavy rains brought on by Typhoon Yagi battered the central provinces, state media says

Volunteers ride a boat through a flooded area, searching for stranded people following the impact of Typhoon Yagi in Taungnoo city, Myanmar, Sept 17, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer

Floods in Myanmar have killed at least 226 people in just over a week, state media reported on Tuesday, after heavy rains brought on by Typhoon Yagi battered the central provinces of the war-torn Southeast Asian country.

Around a third of Myanmar's 55 million people are already in need humanitarian aid, following incessant conflict triggered by a February 2021 coup when the powerful military unseated the civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The areas hardest hit by the flooding include the second largest city of Mandalay, the capital Naypyitaw and parts of Shan state, a sprawling province that has seen heavy fighting in recent months.

Some 77 people are still missing, state media said.

"A total of 388 relief camps were opened in nine regions and states, and the well-wishers donated drinking water, food and clothes," reported the Global New Light of Myanmar, the newspaper of the military government.

In the Mandalay region alone, some 40,000 acres of agricultural land were submerged and some 26,700 houses damaged by the heavy rains and flooding, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also said many flood-hit regions were difficult to reach as several roads were damaged and telecoms and electricity networks disrupted.

"Affected areas include camps for displaced people, including children, who were already struggling with limited services due to ongoing conflict," UNICEF said in a statement.

REGIONAL IMPACT

Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has left a trail of devastation through parts of Southeast Asia, killing at least 292 people in Vietnam where it made landfall.

In Thailand, the storm caused heavy rains and flooding that inundated northern cities, including on the border with Myanmar.

At least 45 people have died across Thailand from flooding and flood-related events such as mudslides since last month, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

At least three people were killed and over 440 families evacuated in Laos, where flooding across eight provinces have also swamped some 7,825 acres of paddy fields, according to UNICEF.