Mizzima
Myanmar refugees’ houses on the banks of the Kaladan River in India’s Mizoram State were washed away and damaged when the river rose due to Cyclone Remal, on 28 May 2024.
The disaster happened in Kaki Village when Cyclone Remal bought torrential rains that caused the river to rise. Fortunately, there were no casualties and the refugees were evacuated to a safe space.
“More than 10 houses, built on the banks of the Kaladan River, were washed away, but no one was harmed as the flood occurred in the afternoon, and people were able to escape”, said an aid worker.
Kaki Village is home to about 400 refugees living in about 150 households. They fled fighting in Paletwa Township, in Myanmar’s Chin State, the number of refugees in the village is rising as more people flee the fighting in Paletwa, according to the aid worker.
More than 3,000 refugees from Paletwa are staying in 18 refugee camps in Mizoram, which borders Chin State. People assisting the refugees say they need shelter, food and medicine.
Cyclone Remal hit Mizoram State on 27 and 28 May. It brought continuous rain that caused massive landslides which killed 31 people, according to the local Zonet Television channel.
The cyclone hit Bangladesh on 26 May where it killed 16 people and caused thousands to be evacuated.
Mizoram is a hilly state and many houses there are built on hillsides. Every year there are landslides and the banks of the Kaladan River are frequently eroded when the river rises during the wet season.
Also in Mizoram, a school for Myanmar refugees in Dapsua Village was destroyed by high winds on 1 May.
