13 killed in Myanmar landslide

A landslide caused by heavy monsoon rains killed at least 13 people and injured dozens more in eastern Myanmar, officials said yesterday, as floods forced tens of thousands across the country to flee their homes.

The deluge of mud engulfed 16 homes and a monastery early yesterday in Thae Pyar Kone village in Mon state, district administrator Myo Min Tun told AFP.

“Thirteen people have so far been found dead and 27 taken to hospital in Mawlamyine (Mon state’s capital),” he told AFP by phone.

Torrential downpours have caused rivers to burst their banks across the country while coastal communities have been warned of looming high tides. Officials say at least 30,000 people, mainly in Bago region and Mon and Karen states, were seeking refuge from the floods, many in monasteries.