Myanmar’s military chief has made a rare request for foreign aid, state media reported, to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured three years of civil war.
Floods and landslides caused by torrential rains brought by Typhoon Yagi, one of the deadliest storms to hit Asia this year, have killed at least 33 people, the government said, adding that more than 235,000 people have been forced from their homes.
“Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims,” army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said, the state-owned Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on Saturday.
“It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible,” he was quoted as saying as he was overseeing rescue and relief work.
Myanmar’s military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad.
The Myanmar Now independent news publication put the death toll at 66 from Yagi, which has killed at least 300 people in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and the Philippines.
Some buildings in Myanmar were swamped by floodwaters and residents, including women and children, were stranded on rooftops before they were brought down into boats by rescue workers, according to images posted on social media.
A military spokesman said contact was lost with some areas of the country and they were investigating reports that dozens had been buried in landslides in a gold-mining area in the central region of Mandalay.
At least 3,600 people have been rescued, the government said.
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