The reports of rising death tolls come from the military junta's spokesperson Zaw Min Tun, who said that over 320,000 inhabitants have been forced to flee their homes due to landslides and heavy flooding. Sixty people are missing and about ten have been injured, according to reports over the weekend.
Scattered eyewitness accounts show extensive damage from the flooding, reports AFP.
Those who are older here in the area say they have never seen such extensive flooding, says a rescue worker who wishes to remain anonymous.
Witnesses describe large-scale efforts where volunteers are taking buses and trucks to the hard-hit areas of Taungoo and around the official capital Maypyidaw. Many of the aid workers come from Myanmar's economic capital Rangoon (Yangon), writes AFP.
The transports to the flooded areas brought drinking water, clothing, and emergency rations. Even small boats and canoes were packed onto roofs and trucks.
The military junta's reports on the number of dead and internally displaced persons in Myanmar are not entirely reliable, since the junta does not control the entire country. Civil wars, regime-critical protests, and unrest between ethnic groups affect parts of Myanmar.
The military junta has turned to international aid organizations, including the International Red Cross Committee and UN agencies. These have so far responded cautiously.
