Over 5,600 evacuated due to floods in Myanmar

Bangkok, Oct 9 (EFE).- Floods caused by monsoon rains have forced the evacuation of over 5,600 people in the Bago region of southern Myanmar, authorities said on Monday.

In a statement, the military junta said the rising waters affected approximately 1,300 homes in four villages in the region.

The authorities have set up at least 24 temporary shelters in schools and monasteries for the affected villagers.

The floods have caused the Bago River to overflow, inundating the low-lying areas of Bago city.

“The water level of Bago River at Bago (city) has exceeded by more than 124 cm above its danger level,” Myanmar’s Met Department said.

Moreover, the flooding has also affected several townships in the neighboring state of Mon, the state media reported.

Authorities distributed essential supplies like drinking water, food, and medicines to those housed in temporary shelters.

In August, floods struck the southern and eastern region of the country, killing at least five and displacing around 48,000 people.

In May, Cyclone Mocha, one of the strongest to ever hit Myanmar, claimed the lives of 463 people, according to the self-proclaimed National Unity Government of Myanmar.

As per the United Nations, the cyclone, which left a “trail of devastation,” mainly affected western parts of Myanmar, particularly the state of Rakhine, which is home to the persecuted Rohingya minority, with the military junta blocking humanitarian aid to the region. EFE

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