Sun Sep 15 15:20:33 UTC 2024: ## Deadly Floods and Mudslides Strike Myanmar After Typhoon Yagi

**Yangon, Myanmar** – The remnants of Typhoon Yagi, Asia’s most powerful storm this year, have left a trail of devastation in Myanmar, claiming the lives of at least 113 people and displacing over 320,000. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue and communication lines are restored.

The storm, which has already caused widespread destruction in Vietnam, Laos, China, and the Philippines, made landfall in northern Vietnam as a tropical depression but continued to generate deadly landslides across Southeast Asia. In Myanmar, the worst affected areas include the Kayah, Kayin, Mandalay, Mon, and Shan states, where heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding and mudslides.

State media reports indicate that nearly 66,000 houses, 375 schools, and a monastery have been destroyed. Extensive road and infrastructure damage has hampered relief efforts. The government has deployed emergency and health workers to affected areas, providing food and water to evacuees and working to restore vital infrastructure.

While official estimates put the death toll at 113, reports from local sources suggest the figure could be significantly higher. Radio Free Asia reported at least 160 deaths, while social media accounts indicated 230 deaths in the Mandalay region alone.

The floods have exacerbated existing challenges in Myanmar, which is facing a three-year civil war following a military coup in 2021. The conflict has displaced millions and created a humanitarian crisis. The Shan state, one of the hardest-hit regions by the floods, is also home to several armed insurgent groups.

Experts warn that climate change is contributing to stronger and more frequent typhoons and hurricanes. Warmer ocean waters provide storms with more energy, leading to higher wind speeds and heavier rainfall.

Typhoon Yagi is expected to move away from Myanmar in the coming days. However, the region faces the threat of another tropical depression developing in the western Pacific.

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