YANGON, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people were evacuated as continuous heavy rain and swollen rivers caused floodings in several townships in southern Myanmar, local authorities said on Saturday.

In Mon State's Belin township, some 6,298 people have been evacuated to 25 shelters, Aung Myat Kyaw Sein, spokesperson of the Mon State government, told Xinhua on Saturday.

The flood victims in Belin township included 2,978 males and 3,320 females from 1,305 households from five wards and some villages in the township, he said.

A total of 792 people, which included 376 males and 416 females, from 176 households in Myawaddy township and over 300 people in Hpa-an township in Kayin State were also evacuated to shelters, state-run newspaper The Mirror Daily reported on Saturday.

In addition, nearly 200 people in Thaton township in Mon State were also evacuated to shelters, the media reports said.

Photos shared on social media by a local rescue organization showed a segment of a major highway in Belin township submerged due to overflowing waters on Saturday.

Myanmar's Meteorology and Hydrology Department on Saturday raised flood risk alerts, highlighting that river levels in Hpa-an, Myawaddy, Belin and Mogaung townships had already exceeded their danger marks.

The weather bureau forecast that rain or thundershowers will likely hit most parts of the Southeast Asian country until the morning of Aug. 6. Enditem

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