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13 Killed in Burma Floods



RANGOON, Burma (Reuter) - Burma's worst floods for decades killed at least 13
people and left thousands homeless, government officials said Thursday. 

There were no details on damage to this year's rice crop but the state-run
media has advised rice farmers to replant as soon as the floodwaters recede. 

An official in one of the hardest-hit areas, Pegu Division, some 60 miles
north of Rangoon, said at least 13 people had died there in the flooding and
the toll could rise. 

``In Nyaunglebin township floods left 33,768 people from 6,629 households
homeless, killing 13,'' the local offical told Reuters. ``We're still trying
to survey the damage and I think the number could rise when we're finished.''


The flooding, the worst in almost 30 years in some areas, has followed heavy
rains since early July. 

The Meteorology and Hydrology Department (MHD) issued a warning Wednesday,
saying the water level in some rivers was expected to rise past danger levels
in the next few days. 

Average total rainfall between July 1 and Aug. 20 was 47.48 inches compared
with 115.33 inches for the whole of 1996, the department said. 

Among the rivers swelling to danger levels and beyond were the Irrawaddy, the
Chindwin, the Salween and their tributaries, an official at the Meteorology
and Hydrology Department told Reuters. 

10:46 08-21-97