About 31,000 people have been evacuated since the beginning of July due to floods affecting several parts of Myanmar, according to the country’s Department of Disaster Management on Wednesday.

Director of the Department of Disaster Management under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Daw Lay Shwe Sin Oo, said on Wednesday.

According to the report, the flood victims came from 6,320 households, and the areas affected by the floods included Kachin State and Sagaing, Magway, and Mandalay regions.

She said that at least 23,298 people were affected in Kachin, 7,478 in Sagaing, 146 in Magway, and 56 in Mandalay.

The disaster management department has established a total of 128 relief shelters in the affected areas, with 73 of them in Kachin, 48 in Sagaing, three in Magway, and four in Mandalay.

Fifteen houses in Kachin State were completely destroyed due to the floods, and many schools have been temporarily closed down.

According to the disaster management department, there were no deaths or injuries due to the floods reported during the cited period.

The Myanmar Fire Services Department said in its reports that their local fire services personnel, rescuers, and relevant organisations have raised awareness for potential floods in the affected areas and conducted rescue operations there.

The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology reported the water levels of the Ayeyarwady River, Myitnge River, and Chindwin River in 18 towns across Kachin, Sagaing and Magway.

Mandalay on Wednesday was reported to be above its respective warning marks.

In Myanmar, July and August were in the middle of the rainy season, and heavy rains are typical during this period, the weather agency said.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement also issued alerts for water-related disasters and took preventive measures against the disasters, noting that July and August typically see water-related disasters, including flash floods and landslides.

According to reports, military personnel, fire services personnel, and rescue organisations in the affected areas of the Southeast Asian country have engaged in evacuating flood-affected residents.

This means providing food and drinking water for them.

The relief centres where the flood victims took shelter also included monasteries, churches, and schools, the reports said.

The weather agency also advised residents living near riverbanks and in low-lying areas in affected areas to take precautionary measures. 

(Xinhua/NAN)