The death toll from floods in Myanmar has risen to at least 113, the country's military government has said, following heavy rains caused by Typhoon Yagi, which wreaked havoc in parts of Southeast Asia, UNN reports citing The Guardian.
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At least 320,000 people have been displaced and 64 are still missing, government spokesman Zaw Min Tun said, according to an evening newscast on state-run MRTV.
Adverse weather conditions due to Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, claimed the lives of hundreds of people in Vietnam and Thailand, and floodwaters from overflowing rivers inundated cities in both countries.
Flooding in Myanmar began last Monday, and by Friday, according to state media, at least 74 people had died.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the rains caused by the storm mainly affected the capital Nay Pyi Taw, as well as the Mandalay, Magway and Bago regions, as well as eastern and southern Shan State, Mon, Kayah and Kayin states.
"Central Myanmar, where numerous rivers and streams drain from the Shan Hills, is currently the most affected," OCHA said.
More deaths and landslides have been reported, but information gathering has been hampered by damaged infrastructure and disrupted telephone and internet lines.
State media also reported that five dams, four pagodas, and more than 65,000 homes were destroyed in the floods.
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About one-third of Myanmar's 55 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, but many humanitarian organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, are unable to operate in many areas due to access restrictions and security threats.
Since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar has been rocked by unrest and violence in large parts of the country.
Extreme precipitation events have become more common and intense due to human-caused climate change in most regions of the world, especially in Europe, much of Asia, central and eastern North America, and parts of South America, Africa, and Australia. This is because warmer air can hold more water vapor. As a result, floods are likely to have become more frequent and severe in these places, but they are also influenced by human factors such as the presence of flood defenses and land use.