Death toll in Myanmar from Typhoon Yagi floods rises to 419

Typhoon Yagi swept through northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar earlier this month, causing widespread devastation and claiming hundreds of lives across the region.

In Myanmar, the aftermath of Yagi has added to the severe challenges already facing the population, where millions have been displaced due to over three years of conflict ignited by the military’s 2021 coup. The country’s administrative council, known as the Myanmar State Administration Council, confirmed the updated death toll in a statement, up from the previously reported 384 deaths and 89 missing.

Tuesday's announcement did not specify the number of missing persons, and poor communication with remote regions has delayed updates on casualties. The United Nations has warned that as many as 887,000 people have been affected by Typhoon Yagi in Myanmar.

In addition to the human toll, the floods have severely damaged over 750,000 acres of agricultural land, with thousands of livestock also reported lost. Previous floods in 2011 and 2015 caused more than 100 deaths each, but this year’s disaster, compounded by the political turmoil following the military coup, has been particularly devastating. (ILKHA)