Myanmar landslide kills 57, thousands flee

Days of flooding and landslides caused by monsoon downpours have killed 57 people in northwestern Myanmar, state media reported on Friday.

Days of flooding and landslides caused by monsoon downpours have killed 57 people in northwestern Myanmar, state media reported on Friday.

HT Image

The torrential rain that started on Sunday and ended midweek in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state triggered floods and mudslides that washed away homes, damaged schools and bridges, and forced more than 2,000 people to flee, the state-run Myanma Ahlin newspaper reported.

Floodwater levels have receded and relief operations were under way, the report said. In neighbouring Bangladesh, heavy rains killed more than 50 people this week.

Flooding is common in Asia during the monsoon season that typically starts in late May. Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar in May 2008, leaving more than 140,000 people dead or missing.