Kantarawaddy Times
On September 12th, 18 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Loikaw drowned in the floodwaters of the Intain Stream in Nyaungshwe Township, Southern Shan State, according to a woman close to the victims.
It is known that the incident occurred on the evening of September 12th, while the IDPs were cooking. The water from the nearby stream suddenly rose, and all 18 individuals were swept away and drowned.
A woman related to the victims said, “The water started rising while they were cooking. All 18 were swept away in the floodwaters. My niece, who was 34, and her 2-year-old son, were also among those. This happened in Intain Village, Nyaungshwe Township.”
Out of the 18 who drowned, only 9 bodies have been recovered. The remaining bodies are still to be found, according to Southern Shan news sources.
The people who drowned were from Minelone, Htoodungantha, and Ywartanshay quarters, and a total of 86 people were displaced in Intain Village.
As of now, detailed information about the victims has not been fully obtained. The water levels in Intain village continue to rise, and rescue efforts are still insufficient.
In Karenni State, people are facing the impacts of flooding. Moreover, the Karenni IDPs who have fled to Shan State due to the conflict are also suffering from the effects of the flood.
“There are Karenni IDPs in Inle. I don’t know how many exactly, but some have taken shelter in monasteries. Now the monasteries are also flooded. Everyone is in a hardship situation,” said a Karenni man in Inle.
Most of the townships in Southern Shan State are still experiencing flooding, and communication lines are down, delaying rescue teams to provide assistance.
