[Heclailia]

Floods in Myanmar kill 12
Jun 16, 2010

YANGON (Mayanmar) - HEAVY rain in Myanmar has triggered floods and landslides, washing away bridges, blocking roads and killing at least 12 people, district officials said on Wednesday.
Large areas of two townships, or districts, in Rakhine State in the west of the country had been inundated after torrential rain this week, and at least a dozen people had been killed, an official said by telephone from the region.
'I think the death toll will go up when we get to hear from nearby villages,' said the official, who declined to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to the media. A road had been blocked by a landslide, he said.
The Meteorological Department said 34 cm of rain fell in the town of Maungdaw, on the border with Bangladesh, on Monday.
Flooding had also hit the towns of Mrauk Oo and Kyauk Taw, about 550 km north-west of the city of Yangon, washing away three bridges, although no casualties had been reported there, another official in the region said.
Deforestation had contributed to the problem, with rain pouring off bare slopes and eroding soil, which blocked waterways, he said. 'The forests are gone and the creeks are choked. So flash floods are common in the rainy season,' said the second official, who also declined to be identified. -- REUTERS