About 300 houses were destroyed and more than 2000 people were evacuated from their homes because of heavy rains and landslides in Hakha, Chin State, western Burma.
U Shwethiau, a resident of Hakha said that 196 houses in the old capital block, 69 houses in the Kei Thei Bo block, and 16 houses in the New Market block in Hakha were recently destroyed by landslides, and more than 2600 people were moved to safer areas.
He said: “Although there is no more rain in Hakha, the land is very soft as continuous heavy rain has changed the hard soil and it is ready to slide at anytime.”
He said that there are 8 relief centers in Hakha and people are working with the Chin State Government to help the those affected by landslides and other natural disasters.
Dr. Ba Maung, the Minister of Social Welfare said: “All main roads connecting with Hakha and other townships were destroyed by landslides and we cannot take rice into Hakha, it will take at least 20 days to recover. Therefore, the military borrowed 500 bags of rice from their stocks and distributed them to people."
President U Thein Sein announced a state of emergency in Rakhine and Chin States and Sagaing Region on 31 July. On 2 August Myanmar vice President U Nyan Tun and his group visited Hakha and met local people and arranged how to get aid to affected people.
A Hakha local said: “The vice president met the public at Carson Baptist Hall in Hakha and he said that rice would be supplied by military helicopter from Gangaw and that he will take immediate action to help the students who lost their school text books and uniforms.”
Also, in Paletwa in southern Chin State 580 houses were destroyed by floodwater, 32 houses were destroyed by landslides and more than 3,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes, according to Ko Kyaw Aung, the Chairman of the Khumi Youth Group.
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
