Landslide kills 17 in Myanmar

A landslide triggered by torrential rains has killed at least 17 people in eastern Myanmar and forced the evacuation of scores more, state media said on Tuesday.

The landslide hit a village in Hpa-saung township in the remote Kayah state on Monday afternoon, killing 10 men and seven women, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

More than 360 people areas have been relocated to temporary relief camps that have been opened at schools and a local hospital, with more heavy rain expected, it said.

Scores of people died in July when the worst flooding in years hit the country, affecting 1.6 million people nationwide.

Myanmar's annual monsoon rains provide a lifeline to farmers but can also prove deadly, with landslides and flash floods a common occurrence.

The recent floods have devastated vast swathes of land in the country's crucial rice bowl regions and raised concerns about reaching voters ahead of much-anticipated November 8 elections.
Source: AFP