Deadly floods hit Myanmar, Bangladesh

Rescue workers were scrambling Thursday to provide aid to tens of thousands left homeless in western Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh after flash floods and landslides killed more than 100 people.

At least 46 were left dead in parts of Rakhine state, in military-ruled Myanmar, as bridges and homes were damaged after a record rainfall of more than 33 centimeters Wednesday, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.

In Bangladesh, 55 people were killed Wednesday after the worst rains in decades struck a day earlier, officials said, forcing rescuers to battle floods to get aid to remote communities hit by landslides.

More than 12,000 people were receiving emergency relief in makeshift camps Thursday after flash floods triggered the landslides, Bangladeshi officials said.

Dry food rations and bottles of water were handed out in the country's southeastern tip after rescue workers cleared debris from roads and accessed the hardest-hit area of Bangladesh, Teknaf, , which is home to many ethnic Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

Across the border, landslides swept away huts on hillsides in Myanmar, while some areas saw floods as high as 60 centimeters after several days of rains, the New Light said.

A Red Cross official in Rakhine state said he feared the death toll would rise. "We are still collecting casualties from areas that we couldn't reach," he said, asking not to be named.

"We are having difficulties reaching some areas, as the roads were damaged," the official said.

AFP