Burma Floods: Over 1 Million People Affected, Nearly 100 Dead

By The Irrawaddy 10 August 2015

RANGOON — The death toll caused by floods and torrential rains in Burma over recent weeks neared 100 as of Sunday, with over 1 million people affected nationwide, according to government data.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement announced in state-run media on Monday that 12 states and divisions have been affected by heavy rains and floods since June, with 99 people dead and 1,016,167 affected.

Only Karenni State and Tenasserim Division have been spared the brunt of flooding which has inundated swathes of the country. The government declared Chin State, Arakan State, Magwe Division and Sagaing Division as disaster zones on July 31.

According to the ministry’s figures, Arakan State accounted for over half of all flood-related fatalities, with 56, followed by Mandalay Division, where 11 deaths were reported.

Over 330,000 people are reportedly displaced or otherwise affected in Irrawaddy Division, where residents are being warned to brace for further rising flood waters.