Myanmar’s president visits area worst-hit by flooding

Major floods have killed at least 27 people across Myanmar and inundated the homes and fields of tens of thousands more, a disaster relief official said Friday, warning of further heavy rains.

Around 150,000 have been displaced or had their livelihoods affected by floods, Chumhre, who goes by one name, added.

Opposition nominees: Myanmar’s opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, Saturday nominated 792 people to contest in nearly all constituencies at various levels of the parliament in the forthcoming multi-party general election scheduled for November 8.

The weather bureau also warned of heavy rain in Magway, Sagaing, Bago, Taninthayi and Yangon regions, as well as Rakhine and Chin States, due to deep depression formed over Bangladesh and more torrential rain is expected in the coming days.

The UN body warned that the number of the flood-affected citizens will be “significantly higher” as many areas “have still not been reached or reported on by assessment teams”.

Western Rakhine and Chin states are among the many 4 worst affected areas and on Friday President Sein declared them “nationwide catastrophe affected areas”, in response to the state-backed global New Mild of Myanmar (GNLM) newspaper.

The UN said the military in Myanmar is working together with local aid groups to carry out rescue and relief operations.

There is particular concern surrounding Rakhine state, which is home over 100,000 people displaced by civil war and living in poorly built camps. Flash floods in western India have killed 26 people while the Press Trust of India said at least 20 people died over the weekend in a landslide in Manipur state which borders Myanmar.

More than 212,000 hectares of farmland in 12 out of 15 states and divisions across the country were seriously affected by floods as the heavy rain continues, the Ministry of Agriculture and said.

Further heavy rains have been forecast for the next few days.

Continued downpours and the inaccessibility of numerous remote regions worst hit by the deluges have hampered rescue work in Myanmar.

“We’re asking the central government to help immediately to solve the crisis with tremendous funding since the state government can not do it alone”, said Khine Pyi Soe, Vice President of Arakan National Party (ANP), according to Radio Free Asia.

In Vietnam’s Quang Ninh province 14 people have been killed in flooding while 36 people have perished in landslides in Nepal.