Five wards in Taungoke town of Arakan State have been flooded due to heavy rain in the last week, the residents said.

The flood was caused by a poor sanitation system, blocked drainage outlets, heavy water flow from the mountain and the drying up of creeks, said U San Ngwe, the chairman of Taungoke township municipal committee.

“It isn’t normal for us to have floods whenever it rains. The water coming in and out isn’t balanced, because the water flow is blocked,” he said, adding that the flood caused transportation difficulties for residents.

Even though the municipal committee educated people about flood prevention, people didn’t pay much attention and didn’t follow the instructions, said U San Ngwe.

A few years ago, a riverbank in Taungoke collapsed because of flooding and some houses were destroyed.

Mrauk U, Minbya, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw and Taungoke townships in Arakan State face flooding annually due to heavy rain.