The Rangoon-Sittwe highway was cut by a landslide in Arakan State’s Ann Township on Monday morning, blocking hundreds of cars and trucks from passing on the important commercial thoroughfare.

Kyaw Khine, an Arakanese commuter en route to Rangoon, told DVB that the highway was blocked by more than 400 metres of debris just outside the town of Ann.

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“The highway was only rebuilt in the summer. The landside has destroyed all the construction work that was done,” he said. “About two furlongs of debris are blocking the road. We have been sitting here for about two hours as road workers try to clear it up.”

Arakan State has been recently hit by heavy monsoonal rains, causing flash floods and landslides across the impoverished region.

At least six people have died and thousands left homeless by the devastation.