Flooding in northern Myanmar leaves 9 dead

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — The U.N.'s emergency relief organization says incessant monsoon rain in northwestern Myanmar has triggered flooding, leaving nine people dead and affecting 70,000 others.

The report on Sagaing Region from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says 12,000 houses have been damaged and schools forced to close.

The Myanmar Ahlin newspaper says the region registered a 24-hour rainfall of 7.83 inches (19.9 centimeters), the highest in 24 years.

The U.N. report says flooding has also affected more than 800 households in northern Kachin state, forcing the relocation of some.

Flooding is common during Myanmar's monsoon season, which typically starts in late May and ends in mid-October.