At least 41 people have died after heavy rain triggered a massive landslide in Paung Township, Mon State, Myanmar.
The landslide occurred on Friday 09 August, 2019, completely destroying 14 houses. Initially disaster authorities reported 10 people had died in the disaster. After further search and rescue operations Myanmar Fire Services Department reported on 11 August that the death toll had increased to 41, with more still missing.
Elsewhere in the state, torrential rain has increased levels of the Attayan River. Local media said flooding from the river has inundated low-lying areas in Kyaikmayaw, forcing over 25,000 residents of 4726 households from 12 villagers to leave their homes.
According to figures from Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), in a 24 hour period to 09 August, 2019, the weather station at Mawlamyine in Mon State recorded 356 mm of rain, Mudon 335 mm and Kyaikkhami 286mm.
Monsoon Floods in Myanmar, 2019
Several states and regions in the country were hit by heavy monsoon rainfall and flooding from around mid-July this year, beginning with Kachin and Rakhine states and Sagaing Region.
By 23 July, over 40,000 people were displaced and staying in 186 evacuation centres in Kachin, Rakhine, Chin, and Mon states, as well as Bago, Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway regions.
As flood waters started to recede in some areas, further heavy rain from around 06 August caused more flooding, with parts of Ayeyarwady Region and Kayin State, as well as Mon State affected from 06 August and Bago region from 07 August. According to UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), in a 2 day period 07 to 09 august, over 3,300 people were displaced in Kayin State and 3,700 in Bago region.
UN OCHA said that more than 105,000 people have now been displaced by flooding in Myanmar since late June, with people formerly displaced in Kachin, Rakhine and Chin states having already returned home when floodwaters receded.
