Strong wind kills 18, injures 24 in Myanmar's Mandalay

Wild weather with strong wind has caused major damage to Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay in the north, killing 18 people and injuring 24, official media reported Thursday.

The disaster over last week also left 1,410 cattle dead and 121 injured.

All townships in Mandalay except the ruby land of Mogok were affected.

The strong wind devastated 1,417 houses and 61 buildings including schools, ripping roofs off 13,352 houses and 334 monasteries and causing 2,420 houses to collapse across the region, the report said.

The fierce wind also blew the Htidaws (sacred golden umbrellas) off 11 pagodas, the report added.

Relief measures are being taken by the regional government.

Total damage to the houses and building stands at a cost of 3.127 billion kyats (about 2.6 million U.S. dollars), according to the report.

Source: XINHUA