The death toll from floods and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi in Myanmar has doubled, reaching 226 dead, while another 77 people are still missing, the Southeast Asian country's state television reported Monday.
The death toll is exactly double the previous official count (113 dead). According to state television, the floods destroyed 2.600.000 hectares of rice fields and other agricultural crops.
Typhoon Yagi caused heavy rainfall, leading to a significant number of disasters in parts of Southeast Asia.
At least 320.000 people have been displaced, government spokesman Zhao Min Tun said, according to an evening broadcast by state-run MRTV. "The government is conducting a rescue and recovery mission," he said, according to the Independent.
The strongest storm to hit Asia this year
Adverse weather from Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has killed hundreds of people in Vietnam and Thailand, and floodwaters from swollen rivers have inundated cities in both countries.
Flooding in Myanmar began last Monday, and by Friday, September 13, at least 74 people had been killed, according to state media reports.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the storms mainly hit the capital Naypyitaw, as well as the regions of Mandalay, Magwe and Bago, along with eastern and southern Shan State, Mon, Kayah and Kayin States. "Central Myanmar is currently the most affected area, with numerous rivers and streams coming down from the Shan Hills," OCHA said.
Urgent need for humanitarian aid – Storm also in Shanghai
Reports of more deaths and landslides have emerged, but gathering information has been difficult due to damaged infrastructure and downed telephone and internet lines. State media also reported that five dams, four pagodas and more than 65.000 homes were destroyed by the floods.
About a third of Myanmar's 55 million people need humanitarian aid, but many aid organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, cannot operate in many areas due to access restrictions and security risks.
Meanwhile, another storm, Typhoon Bebinka, made landfall in Shanghai today, Monday, September 16, prompting area evacuations and flight cancellations.
This is the strongest storm Shanghai has faced since 1949.
Source: protothema.gr