More than 60 have died this week in floods caused by Typhoon Yagi in various parts of Myanmar, with most of the confirmed deaths occurring between Mandalay and the junta’s administrative capital of Naypyitaw, according to rescue workers.
Heavy rains started in and near Tachileik, eastern Shan State on Monday, causing floods by the next day. Flooding also occurred in Myawaddy, Karen State and in southern Shan State over the next few days.
Since Thursday, flooding has impacted Mandalay Region’s Kyaukse, Myittha, Pyawbwe, Thazi and Yamethin townships along the road from Mandalay to Naypyitaw, as well as Pyinmana, Tatkon, and Zayathiri townships in the Naypyitaw Union Territory, rescue workers said.
10 people have died in the floods in Yamethin Township, according to the rescue workers, with as many as 200 missing and feared dead after dozens were carried off in floodwaters in rural villages. In Pyawbwe Township, 15 people are reported missing and three bodies have been recovered, they said.
Rescue workers also reported that at least 13 people, including two children, have died in Tatkon Township.
The military council reported on Thursday via a regime-run newspaper that they were conducting rescue operations in response to flooding in Naypyitaw, Pyawbwe, Mon State’s Kyaikhto Township, and southern Shan State’s Hopong Township.
The report did not mention other townships affected by the flooding and omitted Karen State entirely.
Before Monday, the military council did not issue warnings about potential flooding in any part of Myanmar due to the typhoon, nor did the regime give advice on appropriate preventive or safety measures in any public statements.
Death, destruction, and survival
The worst of the flooding in Naypyitaw followed the breach of a dam near Pyinmana Township. There are 40 confirmed fatalities in the township, according to rescue workers.
According to a local resident, the military council’s failure to issue warnings or plan for safety measures left people in the township unprepared.
“Many have taken shelter in monasteries in urban areas. The only organizations seen conducting rescue operations are charities,” she said. “The situation is dire, with people in danger and cattle dying.”
“We were aware that a typhoon was coming, but we didn’t expect the rain to be so heavy. The military council didn’t make any announcements,” she added. “The lack of warning has made the situation much worse for people.”
An officer in the fire service said that more than 50,000 people are threatened by the flooding in Yamethin Township, and that rescue operations are ongoing.
At least three men and seven women had died, the fireman said, and more than 30 are missing since the floods began. He predicted that the death toll would rise.
Flooding has impacted thousands more in the Naypyitaw Union Territory’s Pyinmana, Tatkon, and Zayathiri townships, with many unable to escape to safety.
According to a rescue worker, at least 13 people have died in Tatkon Township’s Ba Yint Naung Ward in Ma Gyi Pin village due to flooding since Wednesday.
While people trapped by flooding can be seen from a distance, reaching them has been physically difficult due to the strong currents, according to a Yangon-based philanthropist who recently arrived to assist the rescue efforts.
Most areas of Tatkon Township are in a low-lying valley and have been underwater for days, according to the philanthropist.
He added that when he arrived at Ma Gyi Pin village on Wednesday night, two five-year-old children had already drowned after being carried away by the floodwaters. Rescuers were only able to save their mother, he said.
A total of eight people had died in Ma Gyi Pin and five had died in Ba Yint Naung Ward at the edge of Tatkon, the philanthropist said, citing a list he had seen. He also noted that most of the livestock in the area appeared to have drowned.
Strong currents during the floods have necessitated caution, according to a fire service officer in Tatkon, who is also overseeing emergency response operations in Pyinmana. He noted that it is difficult to keep the list of fatalities accurate while rescues are still in progress.
“Conditions in Pyinmana are severe, with most households and some whole villages impacted. There are many people dead or missing,” the officer said. “Rescue operations are ongoing, and we haven’t been able to compile a complete casualty list or even count those we have rescued.”
Another fire service officer in Mandalay Region’s Pyawbwe Township said 15 people remain missing after being swept away by floodwaters, and that the bodies of three victims have been recovered. Two men have been rescued alive, he added.
The flooding has impacted five of Pyawbwe’s nine urban wards, the officer said, and emergency workers have set up 11 rescue and aid camps in the town. The list of dead and missing in the town is still incomplete, according to a rescue worker.
At least 30 people were also feared dead in Kalaw, a popular holiday resort town in southern Shan State, according to local sources. Myanmar Now was unable to verify the precise number of casualties due to the breakdown of phone and internet connections in the area.
A civil society organisation has reported that rural villagers are being relocated to safer areas in other areas experiencing floods, including Mandalay Region’s Wundwin and Kyaukse townships and Taungoo, Bago Region.
