One person dies in Lewe floods

One person dies in Lewe floods

By Win Ko Ko Latt   |   Sunday, 29 September 2013

Flooding in Lewe township in Nay Pyi Taw has claimed one life and may have destroyed crops in up to 200 farms, local officials say. The floods were caused by torrential rain that began late at night on September 24 and continued into the following morning.

Lewe township residents wade through a swollen creek on September 25. (Win Ko Ko Latt/The Myanmar Times)

The rains caused flooding in Khayankaing, Nyaunggone, Thayetkhone and Sinsape villages, locals said.

"A 20-year-old man fell into the water and drowned while hunting rats. It happened at 9am," said U Kyaw Naing, head of the Khayankaing village administration office, adding that two others who fell into the swollen waters were rescued.

Water from Yonepin creek continued to flow into the village after the rain stopped at 3am, residents said.

"My 3 acres of paddy are flooded," said Daw Zaw of Sinsape village, which reportedly suffered the worst of the downpour. She said the paddy would be destroyed if the waters did not recede within four or five days.

"In 2011 my paddy field was destroyed because the water did not go down," she said.

About 140 affected villagers were transported to Yanaungmyin Pagoda compound in Lewe township by the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS)with the help of about 50 local

members, 60 soldiers, firemen and locals, and provided with food and water, officials said.

"We have to help by using loudspeakers to evacuate some elderly people because they couldn't hear us," said a Red Cross official.

An army captain from Lewe township said the military is responding to the emergency. "If people need food and water, we will help them," he said.

The flood victims received drinking water from the MRCS, about 300 packets of steamed rice from Magyeegone village and 500 packets of steamed rice and 1500 bottles of drinking water from the Pyinmana branch of the National League for Democracy.

The Department of Health plans to disinfect water and conduct an education campaign on the need to boil water for drinking to avoid diarrhoea, an official said.

– Translated by Thiri Min Htun

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/10/01/one-person-dies-in-lewe-floods/