Heavy rains, landslides destroy refugees’ houses

Monsoon rains earlier this week caused landslides and destroyed four refugee houses at Karenni Refugee Camp 2 located on the Mae Sariang River, Mae Hong Son Province on the Thai-Burma Border.

The camp officer-in-chief, U San Hla, told Karen News there were no injuries or deaths caused by the flooding.

“After the heavy rains, the flood waters washed away the ground and caused landslides that brought down the houses.”

During the landslides and flooding a house was wash away in the river and three other houses collapsed in the natural disaster.

Ko Aung Htoo, a camp resident, told Karen News that it was lucky no one was killed or injured, but people did lose cooking implements and personal belongings including 6000Thai baht that was in the house that was washed away..

“The refugee camp houses located on the Mae Sariang riverbank are dangerous when it’s raining. Everyone has to be alert when it’s heavy rain like that”.

Refugees made homeless by the flooding have been billeted with relatives or neighbors. The Camp authorities have supplied them with pots, cups, plates, blankets, clothes and food.

Office-in-chief U San Hla explained that it is not the first time the camp was affected by floods, in 2002, heavy rains caused a landslide that swept away a school into the Mae Sariang River.

Karenni Refugee Camp 2 has a refugees population of 3,000 and is located 140 Kilometer from the town of Mae Sariang. Most of the refugees in the camp are Karenni with some Karen living there.