Burma’s government has now put the death toll relating to torrential flooding at 55 in Arakan State, but local parliamentarian Pe Than said the final figure was likely to be higher.
Official sources also reported 85, 000 people affected by the disaster, in addition to 210,000 acres of land and 10, 000 homes in Arakan, also known as Rakhine State.
Pe Than, an MP in the lower house, stated that the support from authorities had been “ineffective” and that accurate data was still unavailable. Local paddy fields were inundated with mud and sand, making re-cultivation impossible, he added.
“The data released by the government does not match what the public has reported. Residents in Rakhine said the death toll is higher, but exact figures are not available. Rescue teams are currently working, but the aid has not been enough. I was told only 60 villages out of 200 in the state received assistance,” he said.
[related]
The storm and floods in Arakan hit Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Minbya townships hardest.
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement has put the nationwide death tally to date at 88.
Read more on BURMA’S FLOOD CRISIS
