catastrophe
Severe flooding in Myanmar – 14,000 displaced
Residents push their bicycles through a flooded street in Bago. photo
© Thein Zaw/AP/dpa
“Some people here have lost everything”: masses of water are sweeping away the belongings of thousands of people in the south of Myanmar – even the most basic necessities are missing. Meanwhile, rail traffic is largely at a standstill.
Parts of the country are in crisis after extreme monsoon rain Myanmar flooded several meters deep. The situation is particularly dire in the Bago region in the south of the country, where more than 14,000 people have been displaced. Rail traffic between the country’s largest cities was also interrupted due to the flooding, state television reported. Those affected urgently asked for help on social media. Clothes and food were particularly needed, it was said.
“The floods started on Saturday after three days of non-stop rain,” said Nway Nway, a resident of the city of Bago, to the German Press Agency. “The water is very high, the situation is bad. Some people here have lost everything,” said the 21-year-old. Rescuers are currently only getting through to the affected areas by boat, said another resident, Myo Min. “There are often floods this time of year, but this time it is much worse.” People were not prepared for this.