More than a hundred people have died in Myanmar due to flooding and landslides caused by Typhoon Mocha.
The spokesperson for the country’s ruling junta, Zaw Min Tun, said in a statement yesterday, Sunday, that the deaths of 133 people have been confirmed. 64 people are missing. However, various regional reports suggest that the actual death toll could be even higher.
According to news agency AFP, more than 320,000 people have been forcibly moved to temporary shelters.
Mocha is the strongest typhoon in Asia this year. It has already shown its devastating impact across Vietnam, Laos, China’s Hainan Island, and the Philippines.
It is estimated that at least 287 people died in various Southeast Asian countries due to the typhoon’s effects before it reached Myanmar.
Local media in Myanmar reported that by Friday evening, nearly 66,000 houses, including 375 schools and a monastery, have been destroyed. Several miles of roads and various infrastructures have been submerged in flood waters. Additionally, more than 236,000 people have been accommodated in 187 relief camps as of Friday.
Most areas of central Myanmar have experienced severe effects of heavy rainfall. Many are saying that the death toll is much higher than the government’s estimate.
According to a report by the US-based broadcaster Radio Free Asia, at least 160 people have died in Myanmar. Social media accounts loyal to the junta government have reported 230 deaths in the Mandalay region alone.
According to a report by Japan’s state broadcaster NHK, more than 120 people had died in the typhoon as of Saturday.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Information said that emergency and health workers are deployed in the flood-affected areas. The ministry has provided funds for food and drinks.
State media reports say that emergency service workers have already begun repairing damaged roads and bridges.
Mocha is expected to move away from Myanmar in the next few days. However, another tropical low-pressure system is forecast to form in the western Pacific Ocean next week.
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