Collapse of dam spillway sparks flood alert in Magwe

Photo 1 Rescuers help villagers cross a river to safety after it flooded due to the dam collapse. Photo - Supplied

07 June 18 - ​A dam spillway collapsed in Magwe Region on Wednesday forcing the closure of schools in several villages that could be flooded as a result of the accident, a local official told The Myanmar Times.

The Kandaw Dam spillway in Pakokku township of Magwe collapsed at dawn on Wednesday and water flooded the Pakokku-Kamma road, said U Tin Htoo Aung, deputy township administrator.

But the Pakokku General Administrator Department said the accident should not be a cause for worry to the public as they have the necessary people and equipment to deal with the problem.

The Kandaw Dam spillway is 300 feet deep, according to U Tin Htoo Aung.

"There shouldn't be any worries. The township administrator and experts are inspecting and carrying out the necessary work," he said.

Water gushes out of the broken spillway of the Kandaw Dam in Pakokku township in Magwe Region. Photo - Supplied

 U Han Zaw Win, a regional member of parliament representing Pakokku, said the villages below the dam have been alerted by phone and plans have been made in the event of flooding.

"There is a school on the edge of the stream in Nan Taw Yat village. We also informed them. The children are in class," he said. "If there's any update, our side will inform them. The people from the village are waiting near the edge of the stream," he added. Due to the collapse of the dam spillway, transportation was temporarily cut off from Pakokku and Yaw in the Chin State mountain range. Schools in those villages have also been closed, he said. In 1978, Kandaw Dam collapsed killing 24 people, residents said. Villagers, in on coordination with disaster relief officials, have set up a system to monitor the rise of floodwater. 


​Source: Myanmar Times

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