Flooding hits Myanmar’s Shan state after river overflows

Yangon: A severe flooding hit Tachileik town in Shan state as the Mae Sai Creek surpassed its danger mark and overflowed into the town.

On September 10, the flood affected 3,838 people across eight wards of the town, prompting an accelerated rescue operation, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the state-run daily The Mirror on Wednesday.

Relief camps have been established at a football stadium and a monastery to provide shelter for the displaced victims, it added. Rescue operations carried out by the Myanmar Fire Services Department, and other organisations are underway, distributing food and drinking water to those in need, it said.

“The Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge 1 is completely submerged, which is an unprecedented situation in our town,” a local resident told Xinhua.

The intense rains have also caused major transportation disruptions, he said.

Power outages and internet and phone service disruptions have further complicated the situation, he added.

U Hla Tun, director of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, said that the intense rainfall, driven by the strong monsoon and Typhoon Yagi, has affected several regions in Myanmar, including Shan, Mandalay, Magway, Ayeyarwady, Chin, Kayin, and Rakhine.

–IANS

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