Over 100,000 people affected by Myanmar's severe flood

A total of 114,845 people were affected by severe floods across Myanmar with 27 being confirmed dead, the Department of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement said on Saturday.

Flooding caused by heavy rainfall in late July has hit people of 42 townships in 12 regions and states, destroying houses, farmland, railway lines, bridges and roads.

A total of 31 relief camps were opened for the disaster- affected people in Kayin and Mon states as well as Bago region.

Chin and Rakhine states, as well as Sagaing and Magway regions were declared as the disaster-hit areas, the government announced on Friday.

Water levels in Myanmar's five major rivers, the Ayeyawady, Chindwin Thanlwin, Sittoung and Ngawun are dangerously high and likely to exceed flood warning benchmarks over the next two days, the weather bureau said.

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.

A national disaster preparedness committee is making evacuation and resettlement efforts in Ayeyawaddy and Bago regions, as well as Kayin and Mon states, which are also experiencing floods.

The United Nations agencies, NGOs and other international organizations are supporting food and other relief supplies to flood victims in some regions but supplies are still needed, the reports said.

Meanwhile, over 524,896 acres (212,582 hectares) of farmland were inundated in June and July.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation is taking necessary measures to grow crops in damaged farmland as soon as water level recedes. Endi