Monsoon Deaths Up To 47 İn Myanmar

The death toll from monsoonal rains ravaging Myanmar has risen to 47 in what some observers have described as the worst flooding in decades. 



Up to a meter of rainfall has hit some areas of the country in the last week, and most states and regions have been affected.



President Thein Sein has signed an announcement saying four of the worst hit areas "have seen huge destruction and face difficulty returning to normal".



Officials said that over 200,000 people have now been affected by the floods, which have swept away homes, inundated entire villages and triggered landslides across the country.



Roads, railway lines and bridges have also been swamped and rescue workers are struggling to reach many of the communities affected.



In Chin state, one of the four worst-hit regions, 700 homes have been destroyed by landslides in the state capital Hakha, according to the state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, which added there had been no casualties.



The American embassy in Yangon, the commercial capital, said Monday in a statement that it was working with humanitarian agencies to assess the damage.



"Our thoughts are with all the families and communities suffering from the disaster," the statement said.



Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday travelled by boat to visit flood victims in Bago. President Thein Sein has also visited flood-affected areas amid criticism that he is failing to do enough to respond to the disaster.



The floods are likely to galvanize public opinion in the run up to a general election on Nov 8. - Yangon