Myanmar floods leave at least 47 dead
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Yangon (dpa) - Weeks of heavy rain in Myanmar have at least 47 people dead and damaged acres of farmland, government officials and media report said Sunday.
More than 524,000 acres of farmland in 12 out of 15 states and divisions across the country were seriously affected by floods as the heavy rain continues over a week, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
Floods and landslides destroyed more than 20,000 homes and affected some 200,000 people in the Sagaing and Mandalay regions as well as in the Kachin and Shan states, local media reported.
Ko Ko Kyaw of the Myanmar Red Cross Society estimates the death toll is much higher.
"Almost all part of the country were facing the flood," he said.
The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)has also warned the death toll is expected to be rise.
Myanmar's government has been criticised for a slow and inadequate response.
