A total of 33 people drowned in Rakhine State during  July and August thisyear. According to the  information collected by Narinjara News, there are5 women among the victims, who drowned in August and 3 women died in July.

The victims also include young, middle-aged and elderly persons. Often Rakhinepeople drown while go for fishing and traveling by boats amidst heavy rains.

A resident of Sittwe informed that many people in rural areas drown while gofor work.

“How can we prevent them from drowning? We need to wear life vests whiletraveling through water ways. Also we have to ask the children not to ventureinto water. But when they have to  struggle for livelihood, how can we prevent them?” added the resident.

Even though traveling through Rakhine waterways is very dangerous as manypeople die annually, the speedboats  should arrange life jackets for thepassengers, but it rarely happens, said a local traveler.

An official from a social assistance association admitted that many parentssend their children to school and do not caution them about the water relateddangers. Often they play in rivers or other water bodies and face the consequences.

On 31 August in Sittwe city, a grade-6 student drowned while swimming inthe lake of the agricultural department office near Mingang ward block (8).

Similarly, on the previous day, a grade-3 student from Kraung Chi village underMin Bya township fell into a hole dug while playing football and finallydied.

Many people died drowning in rural Rakhine areas are not reported by the mediaand hence the actual number of victims may be more than the authority's annualreport.