Irrawaddy-May 17
The death toll from Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar exceeded 200 on Wednesday as people on the ground started clearing away debris and counting casualties, with many fearing the death toll will climb far higher as hundreds are still missing. Mocha made landfall on Myanmar’s west coast in Rakhine State on Sunday with winds of up to 195 km (120 miles) per hour, before crossing into neighboring Chin State and Sagaing and Magwe regions. Aside from the human deaths, it left a trail of destruction, crippling power pylons, smashing wooden homes and fishing boats, and inundating tens of thousands of plantations. Rakhine State is the hardest hit, with the most vulnerable group being the Rohingya refugees living in camps near the state capital Sittwe.
As of Wednesday noon, nearly 130 Rohingya people in 11 camps were reported killed by the storm, according to the Alin Yaung volunteer group, which has been gathering casualty figures on the ground. Sittwe has 13 Rohingya camps, which are home to more than 100,000 people. Many were killed by flash floods caused by storm surges, while others were struck by trees felled by strong winds. Read more at:
