Flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains in southern Myanmar has resulted in the displacement of over 14,000 people and disrupted transportation on rail lines connecting the country's major cities, according to officials and state-run media. The flooding has primarily affected Bago township, located about 68 km northeast of Yangon, where the number of displaced individuals has reached 14,000, with 36 relief camps providing shelter. In addition, nearly 1,000 people from Mon state's township and some residents from Yangon have also been evacuated to relief camps due to the flooding.

Myanmar Red Cross volunteers are evacuating families, the elderly, children, and the sick from neighborhoods and villages that were hit by heavy rains and floods.

Myanmar Red Cross is urgently seeking assistance to provide food, clean water, and essential medicines to people. pic.twitter.com/g0w4OwH7ba

— IFRC Asia Pacific (@IFRCAsiaPacific) October 9, 2023

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement has confirmed that there have been no casualties reported thus far. The continuous rainfall in the Bago region over the past week caused flooding in low-lying areas within the capital, Bago township. The region recorded its highest rainfall in 59 years, with a measurement of 7.87 inches (200 millimeters) reported by Myanmar's Meteorological Department. The department has forecasted rain or thundershowers across the country until Tuesday noon. Residents and officials have described the severity of the flooding, with water levels reaching up to eight feet (2.3 meters) in low-lying areas and four feet (1.2 meters) in downtown Bago.

Thant Zin Maung, the chairman of the Mizzima Thukha Charity Foundation, stated that the entire town of Bago has been affected and described this flooding as the worst the town has experienced in many years. Monasteries in Bago have opened relief camps to accommodate the affected individuals, and various charity organizations are conducting evacuations from low-lying areas. A resident of Bago's Pan Hlaing ward highlighted the depth of the floodwaters, which have reached up to six feet (1.8 meters) in her neighborhood. She revealed that her family is residing on the second and third floors of their house to avoid the rising water levels.

Despite this being an unprecedented flood in her neighborhood, the water continues to rise steadily. Efforts to aid the affected population are underway, with evacuees finding shelter in relief camps, schools, and Buddhist monasteries. The government is providing essential assistance, including food and drinking water, to those in need. Train services have been affected as well, with departures from Mandalay and southern Mawlamyine township being halted due to flooded rail lines caused by mountain torrents and dam overflow in the Bago region. Scheduled departures from Yangon, the country's largest city, have also been cancelled.

Myanmar frequently experiences extreme weather during the monsoon season, with devastating cyclones and floods occurring almost every year. In 2008, Cyclone Nargis resulted in the loss of more than 138,000 lives. Earlier this year, floods in several states and regions killed five people and displaced approximately 60,000 individuals. The current flooding in Bago is another reminder of the vulnerability of Myanmar to the effects of the monsoon season.