More than 1,700 have been rescued from flooding in recent days after heavy rains that began on Saturday caused the Kaladan River to overflow its banks in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township.

Relief workers say that four wards in the town of Paletwa and 11 villages in the surrounding area have been affected by the latest flooding.

“Paletwa is used to facing flooding every year, but this year, the water level is a little bit higher than last year. Flood victims in town are staying in monasteries, schools, Anglican churches and their relatives’ houses, while those from the villages are staying in their village halls or with relatives in other villages,” said Wai Tang of the Paletwa Township Social Volunteer Team.

According to Wai Tang, a total of 1,720 people from 336 families have been rescued from the flooding, including 840 males and 880 females.

He added that while victims in town have received adequate supplies of food and water, aid workers have not yet been able to reach those living in outlying villages with emergency provisions.

“Local authorities, firefighters and civil-society organizations have been able to provide rice, snacks, instance noodles, drinking water and cans of juice to flood victims in the downtown area, but it is still too difficult for us to get supplies to people living in remote areas because the water level is still really high,” he told Khonumthung News.

According to the government’s meteorology and weather forecast department, the peak water level for the Kaladan River is 1,600 cm. By 11:30pm on July 13, it had risen to 1,602 cm. By the following morning, it had fallen to 1,587 cm, and at 5:30pm on July 14, it was down to 1,520 cm.