The severest flood crisis in Lashio is placing over 2,000 people from 6 wards in difficulties and the Buddhist monasteries have to offer food and necessities to the victims, reported young locals from Lashio.

“Today, the highway transportation between Muse and Mandalay is still suspended. It is impossible to cross the AT Bridge since there is still flooding over both banks. The floodwater level is dropping in some wards and so some flood refugees who are staying in the flood relief camp returned to their homes for cleansing and reconstruction. The monasteries offer most of the supporting materials to the victim families,” said Nang Seng from Lashio.

(Photo: Eleven Media Group)

This flood is the worst flood in record and thus even the highway cars from the nearby towns such as Nam Tu and Manzam will not come to Lashio, said another local.

“It was consecutively raining heavily for 20 hours on August 19. All the rivers like Nam Yao, NamHsio, Nam Parkee were flooding and there is also mountain run-off flood in Loi Yio Mountain. The cars those were blocked in the city main roads had to stop on one side of the roads and only one side is able to open up to use. All the farms close to the rivers are now entirely covered by the flood. The E Nai Bridge connected the highway between Nam Tu and Lashio is still under floodwater. The rain stops today. Yesterday, my friend who came from Muse to Lashio had to spend the night at Asia World Gate,” added the local.

Due to mountain runoff flood, there were discharges from a dam and lakes and hence led to the flood in the city. With the help from some donors, 4 flood relief camps in Ward #, 1 camp in Ward#3 and 1 more camp in Ward#9 are opened. Following flood refugees fleeing toward safe places, their homes are reportedly being burglarized.

There are also some people who were reported to have been washed away by the strong current of the floodwaters.

Likewise, there were also the most devastating floods in 55 townships from big divisions such as Irrawady, Pegu, and Rangoon and the states like Mon and Karen. This year is the worst flood ever in the history and more than 500,000 acres of paddy fields are flooded and destroyed, local media Eleven Journal reported.