Nationwide flooding in Myanmar kills 6, affecting more than 420,000 people

Nationwide flooding in Myanmar has so far killed six people, affecting more than 420,000 people, official media reported Friday.

The flooding, which began in mid-July, is still hitting Bago, Ayeyawaddy and Yangon regions although some regions such as Kachin state and Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway regions have closed their relief camps as flood water receded, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement was quoted saying.

Nine townships in Bago region, 12 in Ayeyawaddy and three in Yangon are the latest areas hit by flooding, forcing the evacuation of people to safer places.

Vice President U Henry Van Thio, who is chairman of the National Natural Disaster Management Committee, toured Bago region and met with flood victims in Moenyo township Thursday and provided relief materials to them.

Van Thio pledged the government's commitment to assisting flood recovery, the report said.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's western and northwestern states of Chin and Rakhine have been alerted for possible flash flood and landslide as depression is forming over the northwest Bay of Bengal, according to the Meteorology Department Thursday.

Source: XINHUA