Severe flooding triggered by torrential rainfall and mountain runoff in Sagaing Region’s Kale Township—located near the border with India—has killed at least five people, including two children, and displaced more than 1,000 residents, according to local rescue teams and officials.

Days of heavy rain and runoff from the neighboring Chin Hills caused the Myittha River and local creeks to overflow last week, submerging low-lying wards and surrounding villages, including Nat Chaung, Aung Myin Thar, Sae Gyi, Nat Nan, and Zin Ka Lin.

Floodwaters have begun to recede, but local authorities and rescue groups warn that thick layers of mud and the threat of waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea and skin infections, pose ongoing risks to survivors.

Among the victims was 15-year-old Maung Aung Phway Win, who drowned on September 6 after being swept away by strong currents in Thwi Ngoe Creek while retrieving floating firewood with his father.

Other casualties include a young child who died in a landslide on September 3 while watching floodwaters in Kale’s 9-Mile area, a 55-year-old woman swept away after a riverbank collapsed near U-pot Creek, a 28-year-old cattle herder in Letpanchaung village, and an unidentified man whose body was recovered near Chan Thar village.

Over 1,000 displaced residents are currently taking temporary shelter in local schools across Kale town as authorities assess the damage to homes and agricultural land.

Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology had previously reported that the Myittha River crested nearly two feet above its danger mark before water levels began to fall over the weekend.