Intense storm destroys over 1 100 homes and leaves at least 14 dead, Myanmar
An intense storm accompanied by golf-sized hailstones and gale-force winds was sweeping parts of northern Myanmar since April 19, 2016. The storm destroyed over 1 100 homes and killed at least 14 people. The death toll is still expected to rise.
On April 23, the office of Burma's military commander-in-chief reported that winds of gale force lasted 30 minutes and toppled down over 1 700 pagodas in the Kakku Pagoda compound, near Taunggy, the capital of Shan State. The region contains over 2 400 centuries-old religious monuments.
Hail Stone in Myanmar. pic.twitter.com/T13ZFd1xU8
— Htun Naing (@htunnaing68) April 24, 2016
About 40 townships across the state were affected since April 19. The storm severely affected Mandalay, Sagaing, Magwe, Shan and Arakan states.
As of April 25, 14 people were confirmed dead died and 18 injured. Over 1 100 homes were destroyed and 11 600 damaged. Hundreds of cattle animals died, as well.
The freak storm kicked in after weeks of heat wave conditions where temperatures measured over 40 °C (104 °F).
72-hr rainfall accumulation as observed by GPM Core Observatory. Image credit: Google/NASA/JAXA/GPM
Torrential downpours, thunderstorms, and strong winds are expected to continue throughout the rest of the week, according to local media reports.
Featured image credit: Htun Naing (via Twitter)
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.