Flash Floods Kill Six in Rebel-Held Myanmar Border Town

DVB

Six people have died and over 100 homes were destroyed after flash floods tore through a rebel-controlled town on Myanmar’s mountainous border with China, local sources confirmed on Wednesday.

The northern town of Laiza, a stronghold of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), was inundated by waist-deep muddy waters after days of intense monsoon rains. The flooding began early Monday, sending torrents crashing down from the surrounding hills and into the town’s streets.

"A lot of water flowed down the mountain to the river," said KIA spokesperson Naw Bu. “The flow was too strong and destroyed areas near the riverbank.”

Rescue efforts are now underway, though progress is slow. Road access to Laiza has been severely disrupted, with some routes washed away entirely. “All of the roads have been damaged,” said one resident, who asked not to be named. “The water rose suddenly—many didn’t have time to escape.”

The floods have dealt a particularly harsh blow to the town’s many internally displaced people, already living in fragile shelters due to Myanmar’s ongoing civil war. Local camps were badly affected, with several shelters reportedly swept away and injuries reported among the displaced.

Laiza is located in Kachin State near China’s Yunnan province and has long operated under the control of the KIA, one of the most powerful ethnic armed groups resisting the military junta since the 2021 coup. Over 3.5 million people are currently displaced across Myanmar as conflict continues to ravage the country.

While monsoon flooding is a seasonal hazard in Myanmar, experts warn that climate change is intensifying extreme weather events in the region. As humanitarian needs grow, local groups face mounting challenges delivering aid in areas already destabilised by war.

With rains expected to continue, fears remain high for those still trapped or cut off by the floodwaters.

-2025-08-07