Disasters and emergency response
Disasters
Powerful earthquake hits central Myanmar
A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on August 24, the US Geological Survey reported. The quake, which the agency said struck at a depth of 84 kilometres, was felt in Yangon, as well as in the Thai and Bangladesh capitals. Officials from Myanmar’s Relief ...
Battambang rice-farming families fear floods
About 40,000 Battambang rice-farming families already suffering steep losses from a severe drought are at risk of seeing their crops wiped out entirely by devastating floods as late seasonal rains start to kick in. A drought that meteorologists have blamed on the tail-end of an El ...
Mekong water levels remain at safe heights
Mekong water levels in central and southern provinces are still lower than warning levels despite heavy rain that struck the region this month. The water level of the Mekong in Vientiane on August 23 was about 10.30 m which decreased from 11 m on August 22 and was ...
Typhoon hit roads thwart travellers
Many sections of main roads in central and northern provinces have been blocked or collapsed following landslides caused by the effects of Typhoon Dianmu on the weekend. Roads falling away or being blocked have hindered buses and other vehicles making their way along major northern routes ...
Mekong dwellers get flood alert
People living along the Mekong River have been alerted to rising water levels as authorities monitor the situation and stay prepared for emergencies around the clock. The Mekong levels in the northeastern province of Nong Khai rose quickly on August 21, by 7 cm per ...
China promises to shore up border as foreign minister’s trip ends
Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has ended her five-day trip to China, returning to Yangon on August 21st. The visit, which came after an invitation from China’s Premier Li Keqiang, was Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s first major overseas trip since the National League ...
Flash flooding in LuangPrabang kills woman, damages crops
Flash flooding in northern parts of the country including Luang Prabang province has taken one life, destroyed many hectares of rice and other crops and washed away houses and irrigation channels and livestock. Officials also reported that more than 1,000 families in nine districts of Luang ...
Mekong river rising rapidly at Nong Khai
Water in the Mekong River at this border town is rising alarmingly and municipality officials are preparing to shut drainage outlet pipes to prevent water from the river seeping into the city and causing flooding, reports said. On August 17, the river level was 10.19 ...
Nan declared disaster zone as North struggles with inundation
Officials in Thailand’s Nan province have declared six districts in the northern province flood disaster zones, while neighbouring provinces also recover from severe flooding. The Meteorological Department of Thailand warned residents in the North, notably in the provinces of Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai ...
Five dead, two missing as heavy rains cause flash floods in Vietnam northern mountains
Downpours in Vietnam’s northern mountains last week caused flash floods that killed at least five people, including two children, and left two others missing. The National Steering Committee for Search and Rescue said heavy rains between August 10 and 14 have taken a heavy toll, news ...
