Rehabilitation activities to be carried out in storm-hit areas

An extremely severe cyclonic storm Mocha, which had developed in the northeast of the Bay of Bengal and the adjoining middle east of the Bay of Bengal, crossed the Rakhine coastal areas of Myanmar near Sittway at 10:30 am MST on 14 May.
The circumference of Cyclone Mocha entered Myanmar from the southwest of Sittway, and the wind blew at a speed of 60 miles per hour at 10:30 am and 80 miles per hour between 12 pm and 1 pm. The wind got stronger at 1 pm and the wind speed reached 120 miles per hour at 1:30 pm when the centre of the storm passed through. After 4 pm, the wind speed gradually decreased.
Due to the impact of the storm, heavy rain and strong winds occurred in all the townships in Rakhine state. As a result, buildings collapsed, roofs were blown away, trees fell, lamp-posts and transformers were destroyed, lowland areas were flooded and creeks were swollen with torrential rain.
Rakhine State Disaster Management Committee Chairman Rakhine State Chief Minister U Htein Lin, Western Command Commander Maj-Gen Htin Latt Oo, and the Rakhine State Disaster Management Working Committee will carry out rehabilitation activities for the people in affected areas, including Sittway, under the leadership of the National Disaster Management Central Committee. — Rakhine State (IPRD)/CT