Over 63K displaced in Myanmar dam breach

Yangon, Aug. 30 (IANS): More than 63,000 people were evacuated from their homes after a section of a dam in central Myanmar broke, flooding dozens of nearby villages, the state media reported on Thursday. The breach occurred on Wednesday in Yedashe when the sluice gate of the Swar Chaung dam broke, according to Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. At least 85 villages in Bago region went a metre-deep under water prompting the government and the Army to evacuate residents and the Myanmar Red Cross to provide relief. The water also flooded an 8-kilometre section of the main highway connecting Rangoon and Mandalay and cut a railway line. The dam breached after its water level reached 103.2 meters, exceeding the maximum capacity by half a meter, Efe news reported. The incident took place a month after a dam collapsed in Laos, leaving 34 dead with over 100 missing.