Schools shut as river overflows in Myanmar's delta region

Yangon: A total of 61 schools have been closed due to river overflow in Yekyi and Thabaung townships of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady region, also known as the delta region, media reports said on Wednesday.

Of them, 36 basic education schools are in Yekyi township and 25 in Thabaung township. Most of them have been closed since July 22 due to Ngawun River overflowing in the townships, the reports said.

Official daily Myanma Alinn, citing an education official from Thabaung township, said that 21 basic education schools in the township were closed on July 22, while four others were closed on July 23, Xinhua news agency reported.

The closures are scheduled to last until July 26, with missed school days to be made up on upcoming Sundays.

The country's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology reported that the water level of Ngawun River in Thabaung town was one foot above the warning mark on Wednesday.

The weather bureau has advised residents living near riverbanks and in low-lying areas in the town to take precautionary measures.