Floods leave five dead, 54,000 displaced in Myanmar
Floods in Myanmar have killed at least five people and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes, as heavy monsoon rains continue to batter the Mekong region, a government official said on July 29.
Rising floodwaters displace more than 54,000 people in Myanmar (Source: xinhua/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Floods in Myanmar have killed at least five people andforced tens of thousands to leave their homes, as heavy monsoon rains continueto batter the Mekong region, a government official said on July 29.
There are more than 54,000 displaced people affected by theflooding around the country, stated the official of the Ministry of SocialWelfare of Myanmar.
It is estimated that around 100,000 have been affected byfloods. Vast areas of farmland completely submerged in muddy waters.
Evacuation orders were issued in several areas, while some163 camps have been set up for displaced people in southern, eastern andcentral parts of the country.
Myanmar President U Win Myint on July 28 visited the Bagoarea in the central region to meet displaced people, while urging localauthorities to set up temporary residence areas and provide locals with reliefaid.
Myanmar is hit by severe flooding every year and climatescientists in 2015 ranked it top of a global list of nations hardest hit byextreme weather.
That year more than 100 people died in floods that alsodisplaced hundreds of thousands across the country.
Myanmar's worst natural disaster of recent times was CycloneNargis, which lashed huge stretches of the country's coast, leaving at least138,000 dead or missing in May 2008.-VNA
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Rising floodwaters displace more than 54,000 people in Myanmar (Source: xinhua/VNA) 
