Bangkok: At least 54 people have died and over 1.85 lakh buildings have been heavily damaged by the devastating Cyclone Mokha that hit Myanmar last weekend. However, reports said that the actual loss of life and property from Mokha to Myanmar is not known due to damage to communication infrastructure in the cyclone-affected areas and restrictions imposed by the military regime on the flow of information. Cyclone Mokha, which formed in the Bay of Bengal last Sunday, made landfall in Bangladesh and Rakhine state in western Myanmar, bringing strong winds and heavy rains in the region.
Strong winds of about 209 kilometers per hour were blowing in the area due to the cyclone that hit near Sittwe township of Rakhine province. However, it weakened into a tropical cyclone on Monday while moving towards the interior of the country. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said homes and infrastructure had been destroyed on a large scale throughout Rakhine state. The area, she said, is in urgent need of shelter, clean water, food aid and health care services.
There are growing concerns about the spread of waterborne diseases and landmines in flood-prone areas, the UN office said. Rakhine state is the epicenter of decades of ethnic conflict in Myanmar. The impact of the cyclone was also felt in the northwestern part of the country, where a large number of houses either collapsed or were washed away, the UN office said. Strong winds and rain also heavily damaged displaced persons’ camps in Kachin province.
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