Floods kill scores across southern Asia

Myanmar said on Tuesday it had appealed for international support to provide food, temporary shelter and clothing for more than 210,000 people affected by the floods caused by weeks of heavy monsoon rain. According to the government, at least 47 people died in the devastating floods.

In 2008, the military junta in power at the time refused outside help after a cyclone killed 130,000 people. The country's recent call for support came from the quasi-civilian government led by former generals that took power in 2011.

"We are cooperating and inviting international assistance. We have started contacting possible donor organizations and countries," said Ye Htut, the country's minister of information and spokesman for the President's Office.

'Weak response' to the disaster

Myanmar's government admitted that its "weak response to the disaster led to misunderstandings about evacuation efforts," state media reported on Tuesday, citing government spokesman Ye Htut.

Floodwaters also inundated vast areas of Pakistan, killing at least 118 people, authorities said on Monday. The National Disaster Management Authority said that the flood affected more than 800,000 people. Almost 3,000 houses collapsed or were damaged.

Heavy rains also affected India. At least 12 people were killed when an old building collapsed on the outskirts of Mumbai, an Indian official said on Tuesday.

das/sms (Reuters, AP, AFP)