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Karen state hit with flooding for second time in the last month

Monsoon rains inundated large swaths of Karen state earlier this week as local authorities scramble to set up relief camps in flood-hit areas.

In the state capital Hpa-an on Wednesday, local authorities established three emergency relief camps in different wards. According to locals, no casualties have been reported in connection with the fresh flooding.

“The flooding in Hpa-an was due to the flooding of the river. Emergency relief camps are set up in pagodas and a football stadium. An estimated 300 household are taking shelter in these camps,” said one Hpa-an resident who spoke with DVB.

In nearby Hlaing Bwe township, four wards were at risk of being deluged as water levels in the area’s streams continued to rise.

Chit Tin, a resident from Hlaing Bwe, said local streams had risen by three feet and relief camps were being set up at a school and monastery.

On Wednesday, Burma’s Meteorological Department reported that the water levels in the Salween River in Hpa-an reached 808 centimeters, which is 56 centimeters above the advised threshold. The Irrawaddy, Sitdaung rivers’ water levels were also reported to have breached their advised thresholds as well.

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According to forecasts, rain is expected to continue falling in the area for the next two days.

Residents from Karen’s Myawaddy on the Thai-Burmese border town also voiced their concerns over possible flooding as the Moei River continued to swell with the seasonal rains.

In July, nearly 30,000 residents were relocated in Karen state due to flooding and more than 70 relief shelters were opened, according to the government statistics.

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