The Karen State’s capital Hpa-an is largely flooded by the Salween River, which is at a record high, more than 193cm above its critical level of 750cm.
In 2018, the Salween reached 918cm compared with 943cm recorded on Tuesday with around 8,000 residents relocating to 15 camps, including in monasteries, according to rescue teams.
A Hpa-an resident said: “In 2018, it lasted two days but this is the fourth day and it not raining heavily anymore.”
The Alin Thit Rescue Team told The Irrawaddy that the border town of Myawaddy flooded from Thursday to Saturday as the Moei River that marks the border with Thailand displaced almost 3,000 residents to four camps.
The Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge was closed on Friday in the worst flooding since 2013.
An Alin Thit member said: “Myawaddy has poor drainage so some areas suffered badly.”
Three civilians, including a child, died in the Myawaddy flooding, according to rescue teams, but no deaths have yet been reported in Hpa-an.
Flooding has since spread to lower-lying areas, including Mandalay, Magwe, Bago, Ayeyarwady and Tanintharyi regions and Karen and Mon states.
The junta’s Meteorology and Hydrology Department on Tuesday warned of flooding in Hpa-an, Pathein in Ayeyarwady Region and Shwegyin in Bago Region until Wednesday evening and in Hinthada and Zalun in Ayeyarwady Region.
An Ingapu Township resident in Ayeyarwady Region said: “The flooding is not receding because the water cannot flow into the Ngawun River due to the flooding.”
Transport links are down in Karen and Mon states and Bago and Ayeyarwady regions because of the flooding.
The junta’s Myanma Alinn Daily warned of flooding of the Sittaung, Shwegyin, Bago, Salween, Ngawun, Toe and Bilin rivers.
In early July, the Irrawaddy River displaced more than 2,000 residents in Kachin State’s capital Myitkyina.
The river then rose in Bhamo and Shwegu, downriver from Myitkyina. On July 5, the Irrawaddy rose by more than 120cm above its critical level in Bhamo with residents sheltering in monasteries and schools.
