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Flooding from typhoon swamps northern Laos, Myanmar’s Inle Lake area

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  • Flooding from typhoon swamps northern Laos, Myanmar’s Inle Lake area
  • September 16, 2024
  • Article Body Text <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images from northern Laos and central Myanmar show the extent of flooding from torrential rains brought by Typhoon Yagi.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asia's biggest storm of the year has left scores of people dead or missing in several countries in Southeast Asia since roaring across northern Vietnam, northern Laos and Thailand last week, causing landslides and flooding, and destroying homes, bridges and roads.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><figure class="image-richtext image-inline captioned" style="width:622px;"> <img alt="People gather on a porch as buildings sit in floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)" height="415" src="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/20240916-laos-flooding-luang-prabang-002.gif/@@images/4074f53e-54ed-4bfe-935b-8272edb35cec.png" title="20240916-LAOS-FLOODING-LUANG-PRABANG-002.gif" width="622"/> <figcaption class="image-caption">People gather on a porch as buildings sit in floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)</figcaption> <small></small> <div id="zoomattribute"> <a data-caption="People gather on a porch as buildings sit in floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)" data-fancybox="" href="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/20240916-laos-flooding-luang-prabang-002.gif" id="single_image" title="People gather on a porch as buildings sit in floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)"> <img src="/++plone++rfa-resources/img/icon-zoom.png"/> </a> </div> </figure> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since Sept. 10, high water levels in Laos’ Luang Namtha province have forced residents in affected villages up to the second floors of their flooded homes as they wait for help. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Others have sought temporary shelter inside a provincial administration hall, a badminton court hall and Buddhist temples. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><figure class="image-richtext image-inline captioned" style="width:622px;"> <img alt="Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)" height="415" src="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/20240916-laos-flooding-luang-prabang-003.gif/@@images/df6032a0-da36-46c6-b946-742e2040dd8e.png" title="20240916-LAOS-FLOODING-LUANG-PRABANG-003.gif" width="622"/> <figcaption class="image-caption">Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)</figcaption> <small></small> <div id="zoomattribute"> <a data-caption="Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)" data-fancybox="" href="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/20240916-laos-flooding-luang-prabang-003.gif" id="single_image" title="Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)"> <img src="/++plone++rfa-resources/img/icon-zoom.png"/> </a> </div> </figure> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The waterlogged areas include 35 villages, according to a Sept. 11 provincial administration report submitted to Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone’s office.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Authorities are busy rescuing people from the roofs of their homes, taking them to temporary shelter, and providing food and drinking water from donations by businesses and the wealthy, said a local official who declined to be identified so he could speak freely. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><figure class="image-richtext image-inline captioned" style="width:622px;"> <img alt="Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)" height="415" src="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/20240916-laos-flooding-luang-prabang-004.gif/@@images/a99ddf9a-40b8-4c8d-a4e0-3ee362e930cb.png" title="20240916-LAOS-FLOODING-LUANG-PRABANG-004.gif" width="622"/> <figcaption class="image-caption">Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)</figcaption> <small></small> <div id="zoomattribute"> <a data-caption="Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)" data-fancybox="" href="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/20240916-laos-flooding-luang-prabang-004.gif" id="single_image" title="Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)"> <img src="/++plone++rfa-resources/img/icon-zoom.png"/> </a> </div> </figure> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heavy rains from the storm caused spillover from the Namtha 3 Dam that flowed down the Namtha River, a tributary of the Mekong and the largest river in the province, and contributed to the flooding of province's Luang Namtha district.</span></p> <p><b>Lake level rises 6 meters</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Myanmar, flooding from heavy rains has displaced more than 20,000 people from over 170 villages since Sept. 11 in the vicinity of Inle Lake, and residents urgently need aid, locals and volunteer aid workers said.<br/></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The flooding caused power outages and forced schools to close in communities near the freshwater lake in southern Shan state.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We have never experienced such a severe flood before,” said a resident of Ma Gyi Seik village. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><figure class="image-richtext image-inline captioned" style="width:622px;"> <img alt="Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)" height="415" src="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/myanmar-inle-lake-flooding-sept14-2024.gif/@@images/763697d2-7f96-4fdb-ab1a-3f22d567ee7f.png" title="myanmar-inle-lake-flooding-sept14-2024.gif" width="622"/> <figcaption class="image-caption">Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)</figcaption> <small></small> <div id="zoomattribute"> <a data-caption="Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)" data-fancybox="" href="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/myanmar-inle-lake-flooding-sept14-2024.gif" id="single_image" title="Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)"> <img src="/++plone++rfa-resources/img/icon-zoom.png"/> </a> </div> </figure> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The water level of the lake has risen more than six meters (20 feet) above normal because of heavy rainfall and water washing down from the mountains, inundating roughly 2,000 nearby homes.  </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A resident of affected He Yar village said only a few of some 800 single-story houses were not inundated with water, and that villagers must rely on food delivered by boat.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rescue workers have evacuated the elderly to Buddhist monasteries, though they need water and medicine, while other families are staying with friends and relatives, said a volunteer rescue worker.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><figure class="image-richtext image-inline captioned" style="width:622px;"> <img alt="Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)" height="415" src="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/myanmar-inle-lake-flooding-sept14-2024-1.gif/@@images/b9eb0e84-0ae7-4cc0-add1-cf29779684c8.png" title="myanmar-inle-lake-flooding-sept14-2024.gif" width="622"/> <figcaption class="image-caption">Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)</figcaption> <small></small> <div id="zoomattribute"> <a data-caption="Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)" data-fancybox="" href="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/myanmar-inle-lake-flooding-sept14-2024-1.gif" id="single_image" title="Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)"> <img src="/++plone++rfa-resources/img/icon-zoom.png"/> </a> </div> </figure> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As of Sept. 15, Myanmar state media reported 113 people dead, 64 missing and 14 injured amid the storm and flooding, though volunteer aid workers said the actual death toll could be higher. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">More than 320,000 people across the country had been evacuated as of that date.</span></p> <p><b><i>Translated by Phouvong for RFA Lao and by Aung Naing for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.</i></b></p>
  • Content Type Text
  • Language English
  • NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
  • Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
  • Rights FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters
  • Network VOA
  • Embargo Date September 16, 2024 17:42 EDT
  • Byline By RFA Lao and RFA Burmese
  • Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English
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