Over 45,000 displaced as floods, landslides hit Myanmar

Yangon, Aug 12 (IANS) Myanmar's Department of Disaster Management said that more than 45,000 people were currently in relief shelters across the country due to floods triggered by surging river levels amid intense rainfall.

A Department official told Xinhuanews agency on Friday that five people, including three from Mon State and two from Rakhine State, have died.

The regions and states affected by the natural disasters during the monsoon season included Kachin, Kayin, Bago, Magway, Mon and Rakhine, she said.

The Department has established 109 shelters throughout the country to aid flood victims.

The majority of the shelters are located in Mon, Kayin and Rakhine states as well as in Bago Region, it said.

Rakhine has already evacuated more than 10,000 people from 2,146 households to shelters due to flooding and rising river levels, state media reported.

In Kayin, six out of seven townships have been inundated, leading to the relocation of over 18,000 residents from their homes to shelters.

Heavy rains also caused landslides in Kayin State, resulting in the collapse of a section of the Myawaddy-Kawkareik Asia Road on Monday.

The incident obstructed transportation on the route, rendering it impassable for vehicles.

Furthermore, parts of a crucial road connecting Kayin State's capital Hpa-an and Mon's capital Mawlamyine were also inundated on Thursday, local media reported.

Additionally, flooding forced the closure of 12 primary schools in Kyaikmaraw township in Mon.

In Bago Region, 12,461 people from 2,973 households were forced to relocate to shelters as continuous heavy rains caused severe flooding.

A resident of Bago, told Xinhua on Friday that "the ground floor of my house remained submerged, with water reaching chest height in my yard".

U Hla Tun, a director from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, told Xinhua on Friday: "Rainfalls were high in recent days. The recent heavy rainfall is one of the reasons that caused rivers overflowing."

The weather department reported that the water levels of several rivers, including Sittaung, Bago and Thanlwin rivers, remained above their danger levels on Thursday afternoon.

It also issued a warning for residents living near riverbanks or low-lying areas in Bago Region's Madauk town and Bago township, Kayin's Hpa-an township to remain vigilant about potential flood risks.

According to the weather agency's latest 10-day forecast issued on Friday, river levels in various parts of the country, including the Ayeyarwady and Chindwin, are expected to rise until August 20.