Typhoon Yagi floods displace more than 235,000 in Myanmar: junta

Two men guide cattle through high flowing flood waters in Sin Thay village in Pyinmana, in Myanmar's Naypyidaw region, on Sept. 13, 2024, following heavy rains in the aftermath of typhoon Yagi. Photo by AFP

"There are 236,649 people from 59,413 households who were displaced because of typhoon floods... There were 33 deaths and one person injured around the country," junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in an audio statement.

He said authorities have "lost communication with some areas" and urged those living near river banks to seek shelter elsewhere and "be vigilant" until Sunday.

Earlier Friday, Myanmar's fire service gave a higher death toll of 36.

Authorities were investigating reports that dozens of migrant workers in gold mining areas in central Mandalay region were missing following landslides, the junta spokesman said.

People in parts of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar have been battling floods and landslides in the wake of typhoon Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend.

More than 2.7 million people were already displaced in Myanmar by conflict triggered by the junta's 2021 coup, which has plunged the country into turmoil.