Severe flooding hits Myanmar following Typhoon Yagi

Severe flooding has devastated Myanmar in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, forcing more than 230,000 people to evacuate their homes, according to officials.

The country's ruling junta has requested foreign aid to mitigate the impact, the state-run media report. The capital Naypyidaw is among the areas worst hit, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

The floods have killed at least 33 people, the country's military says. State-run daily New Light of Myanmar says some temporary relief camps have been set up for victims made homeless.

Asia's most powerful storm this year, Typhoon Yagi, has already swept Vietnam, the
Chinese island of Hainan and the Philippines.

Junta chief Gen Min Aung Hlaing and other Burmese officials have visited areas of heavy flooding and inspected the rescue and relief efforts, the state-run media say.

Reports by Radio Free Asia suggest the death toll is much higher, with the US-backed broadcaster saying at least 160 people were killed in floods and landslides.

According to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), some 18.6 million people are now estimated to be in humanitarian need.

In an update on the ongoing humanitarian situation earlier this week, the International Red Cross (ICRC) said many families in Myanmar have limited access to clean water and sanitation, and are going without basic medicines and health care.

News.Az