- Web Master
- September 28, 2023
A day before the cyclone Mocha may hit Rakhine, many residents in various townships including the IDPs have been evacuated.
In Sittwe township, people from the seashore and low land areas are being evacuated to various monasteries
and school buildings.
Some residents from lower Sittwe wards have left for Kyauk Taw and Mrauk U Townships by the private vehicles.
All the private schools
in Sittwe have been closed and the students have been asked to go home.
"Most of the people living in low lands and seashores in Sittwe township have
been shifted to monasteries and schools at highlands. Many villagers from adjacent areas of the capital city also
moved to safer places,” said a
local resident.
So far, over 1,500 people have taken shelter at Sittwe Adithan temple and 1,500 people arrived in Bishop U
Nyanasaka monastery. The number of
people coming for shelter may increase, added the resident.
Muslim villages under Sittwe township have also been relocated to cyclone storm centers
and school buildings.
"After hearing news of the storm, the villagers have gathered all documents along with necessary
medicines, batteries, power banks and
food items in safer stores,” said U Soe Myint, a Muslim elder from Sittwe Bumay village.
“The families from Tha Chaung and Owndaw Chay camps have also
arrived in Thetkay Byint
government school. Some of them are staying with their relatives. No government support has been offered till
now," he claimed.
A resident said that people from two villages under Maungdaw township, which may face the storm soon, have
already been evacuated.
Residents of Kyaukpandu and Hindu villages were evacuated yesterday. About 200 people from the Hindu village
were shifted to the school buildings.
Some IDP camps of Kyauk Taw township were evacuated by
the members of Arakan Army (AA).
“Over 1000 IDPs from Taung Min Kula, Wa Taung and Kan Sout
under Kyauk Taw township were
evacuated by the AA to nearby monasteries and schools,” he added.
Residents of several villages under Buthidaung township were moved by the natural disaster management team to
monasteries and government schools.
According to Myanmar meteorological and hydrology department, seven Rakhine
townships have been marked with the
high risk because of the disaster created by cyclone Mocha. The vulnerable townships include
Sittwe, Kyauk Phyu, Maungdaw, Manaung,
Rathedaung, Maebon and Pauk Taw.
Developing in the Bay of Bengal the cyclone Mocha is predicted to cross and landfall between Cox's Bazar
of Bangladesh and Kyaukphyu of Rakhine
State 14 May during evening hours.
It is estimated that the storm will reach 90 to 100 miles per
hour, and the water may
rise 12 to 16 feet in various tributaries of Sittwe and Maungdaw districts, and 9 to 12 feet in tributaries of
Kyaukphyu district.
The authorities in Rakhine State are on alert to prevent or minimize damages from the cyclonic storm Mocha,
which is likely to make landfall
on Sunday.