Thousands Marooned in Myanmar Floods

Flood Crisis Engulfs Northern Myanmar, Thousands Affected

Flooding in Northern Myanmar has left thousands of people stranded.

Thousands stranded in Northern Myanmar due to severe flooding. Rising waters and landslides pose significant risks, with thousands trapped in their homes. Get the latest updates on the crisis.

Residents in northern Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia, reported on Tuesday, July 2, that flooding had cut off phone and electricity to thousands of people, imprisoned them in their homes, and the state weather office was warning of further severe rain.

The Ayeyarwady River had risen past its danger level in Myitkyina, a city in the northern Kachin state, following days of intense rain.

“Water has been rising very quickly. Many residents are still stuck in their houses, electricity and phone networks had been down since Sunday.

“There has been a fuel shortage in town and rescuers are facing a lot of difficulties with reaching people by motor boat,” a Myitkyina resident said.

Another Myitkyina resident said that her house's lower level was under water, and she was taking refuge with neighbors until rescue personnel could arrive.

The waves had somewhat receded by Tuesday morning, July 2, but the rain was still coming down.

The state meteorological service issued a warning of additional intense rain in the upcoming days, and thousands of people were still stuck inside their homes.

The Ayeyarwady River could rise from six to ten feet (1.8–3 meters) downstream in the second city of Mandalay during the first ten days of July.

Landslides pose a serious risk to the thousands of migrant workers that come to Kachin State during the rainy season, which runs from June to October, in order to collect minerals and precious metals from the state's highlands.

Five people were killed and at least seven more were reported missing in a landslide at a rare earth mine last month, according to a mine employee.

Only a few weeks ago, Myanmar went through a heatwave that set records, with some regions recording temperatures as high as 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit). Now, there is a deluge.

The Southeast Asian nation often experiences months of torrential rainfall throughout the rainy season, but experts are concerned that climate change caused by humans is intensifying weather patterns.