Cyclone Sitran destroys houses in Rakhine State’s Pauktaw Township

26 October 2022
Cyclone Sitran destroys houses in Rakhine State’s Pauktaw Township

Cyclone Sitran damaged houses in the coastal village of Sintamaw, in Rakhine State’s Pauktaw Township on 24 October.

A Sintamaw villager said that flooding and high winds had destroyed homes and forced families to leave the area.

He said: “Because our community is near to the sea we have already experienced heavy rain and strong winds. Because of the cyclone’s strong winds and the erosion it caused some homes were completely demolished.”

He added that the elderly, residents at risk and their possessions have been moved to safety.

Another local said: “Around seven houses were destroyed in total and two boats sank, but no one was injured. More houses might collapse. People from houses near [to the coast] have been transferred to a safe place.”

More than 1,000 people are suffering as a result of the high winds and rain in the Rakhine villages of Sintamaw Kalar, Sintamaw Bawdali, Sintamaw Ywarma, and Sintamaw Pitesate.

The cyclone has caused strong winds, but no rain, in some Rakhine State townships, including Sittwe, Pauktaw, Minpyar, and Man Aung.