(UTV|COLOMBO) Ten people have been killed and more than 100,000 have been forced to flee their homes after days of heavy monsoon rains flooded villages in central and southern Myanmar, according to government officials.
The Burmese National Disaster Management Committee has urged residents near river banks and low-lying areas to move to higher ground, after floods shut down roads and submerged villages, leaving communities stranded.
As of Tuesday, more than 119,000 people across five provinces had been displaced by rising waters, with Magway Region in central Myanmar particularly hard hit, with more than 70,000 affected, said Min Thein, director of Myanmar’s Department of Disaster Management.
Images released by Myanmar’s Ministry of Information show rescue boats evacuating people, while children and families cling to rooftops to escape rising water levels.
However, attempts to reach many of those affected have been hampered by heavy rains. Three of the ten people killed in the floods have been soldiers aiding in the rescue effort, said Thein.
