8 feared dead after storm lashes Myanmar coast

Yangon, May 20: Eight people were feared dead and more than 900 houses were destroyed by a storm in the Bay of Bengal that swept through coastal districts of Myanmar last week, a fisherman and a state newspaper said today.

A small fishing trawler with 13 crew sank off Sindamaw Island, 18 miles (30 km) southeast of Rakhine state's capital Sittwe, last week, the fisherman told Reuters.

''Three of the 13 crew were rescued by a nearby fishing boat while two got ashore using a plastic drum and eight went missing,'' he said.

''As of this morning, two dead bodies had been found and the remaining six are believed to be dead,'' he said.

More than 900 homes, including 363 in Sittwe Township in Rakhine state, were damaged by the storm, which had winds of up to 130 kms (80 miles) per hour, semi-government Myanmar Times weekly reported quoting a Myanmar Red Cross Society official as saying.

Emergency kits were supplied to the affected families in the coastal region, which is frequently struck by storms, the official said.

Reuters>