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Rescuers here in the town of Paung, in Mon State, after landslides caused by heavy rains. Ye Aung THU / AFP

In Burma, at least 41 dead and dozens wounded, after a landslide in the east of the country. Heavy monsoon rains have caused flooding throughout the country, forcing thousands to flee.

From our correspondent in Rangoon, Sarah Bakaloglou

It is a torrent of mud that spilled Friday, August 9 on a village of the east of Burma, in the Môn State. On social networks, we see homes destroyed, and rescue workers on the job with bulldozers, to try to find victims: dozens of people are still missing this Saturday, according to the local authorities.

Dozens of dead and wounded, roads collapsing, landslides: the record of the monsoon is worsening in Burma. https://t.co/tUrQZrDsUu

Sarah Bakaloglou (@SarahBkl) August 10, 2019

A landslide due to heavy rains in recent days in the region is causing the disaster. The floods forced more than 7,000 people to flee into the Môn state, traveling by makeshift boats, or sometimes on foot despite the water level and taking refuge in monasteries. Other areas in the south of the country have been affected, roads damaged and roads cut off.

Every year in Burma , the monsoon is tens of thousands displaced with economic consequences, since agricultural areas are flooded. For the moment, more than 100,000 people have fled since the beginning of June. A number that could increase since the rains should continue in the coming days.

In Mottama, Mon, rescuers are looking for the bodies of the victims of the landslide caused by heavy rains on August 10, 2019. REUTERS / Ann Wang