Nine bodies pulled from Myanmar landslide as rescue effort continues

Yangon, September 30 - Rescue teams in Myanmar's south are continuing their efforts to recover bodies from a landslide that struck a village last weekend, according to a volunteer leader. The disaster has already claimed nine lives, including elderly residents. The Tanintharyi region, Myanmar's southernmost area, experienced intense rains over the weekend, contributing to severe weather conditions that also affected neighboring Thailand and flooded Bangkok.

Flash floods, blocked roads, and disrupted communication lines have posed challenges for rescue and recovery operations in a nation still grappling with civil war since 2021. Myo Min, head of the Dawei Zabuthiri Emergency Medical Service, confirmed that nine bodies were retrieved from the landslide in Ka Det Nge Htein village, located four kilometers from the Andaman Sea coastline.

However, eight individuals remain missing, buried under the mud. Myo Min described the situation as "terrible," stating that the residents were killed while sleeping as the landslide buried them. The landslide is one of many reported across the region, but a comprehensive casualty count has not been issued due to the fragmented control of Tanintharyi between the military and various ethnic minority and pro-democracy rebel groups.

The ongoing monsoon season has further complicated rescue operations, necessitating the use of foot messengers to maintain contact with field teams. Meanwhile, neighboring Thailand has reported 24 fatalities from floods since mid-September, including four in Bangkok, following a citywide flood disaster declared last weekend. Myanmar, with a population of 51 million, is among the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to the Germanwatch non-profit organization.

However, the ongoing civil war makes it difficult for aid organizations to accurately gauge the scale of natural disasters.