YANGON, June 19 (Xinhua) -- As many as 7,400 people were left homeless by a flash flood in Myanmar's southern Mon state, triggered by torrential rainfall at weekend, said the Information Ministry Tuesday.
About six towns - Mawlamyine, Mudon, Kyaik Ma Yaw, Thanbyuzayat, Yay and Paung in the state - were severely affected by the flood and strong wind, the worst in several decades.
The flood destroyed pagodas, schools, houses, bridges and roads and the loss is initially estimated at 644 million kyats (473,602 U.S. dollars), the authorities said.
Continuous heavy rainfall is forecast in the state until the third week of June, according to the Meteorology and Hydrology Department.
The flood victims are being accommodated at 38 temporary relief camps in the state.
Nationwide flooding has submerged a total of over 200,000 acres (81,000 hectares) of cultivated area including 50,000 acres of sesame fields and over 2,500 acres of paddy fields among other crops, said the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.
Since early June, flooding hit Magway, Sagaing, Ayeyawaddy, Rakhine and Mon regions and states nationwide, of which Sagaing region was the worst affected, according to local 7-Day News Tuesday.