Mocha wreaked havoc in Chin State destroying many houses and buildings, including the Chin National Front’s headquarters, as 50-70 mph winds passed through the north and south in the evening of 14 May.
With phone lines cut and connectivity already disconnected in many parts of the state by the military regime it’ll be a while before the full extent of the destruction caused by the cyclone in Hakha, Tedim, Tungzan, Falam Mindat, Paletwa and Matupi townships is known.
The Matupi Chinland Defence Force (CDF) reported that some buildings at their headquarters were damaged by the storm and soldiers were forced to sleep in their bunkers.
Many houses in villages in Matupi Township were also destroyed, but with phone lines down in southern Chin State down, Khonumthung News was unable to determine how many at press time.
In neighbouring Kanpetlet Township, a church and the roofs of two school buildings were destroyed.
In Paletwa Township, the roofs of houses in Sami town were also ripped off by the cyclone.
In northern Chin State, Salai Issac Khin, a member of the Interim Chin National Consultative Council, wrote on his Facebook page that two houses were damaged in Myothit Ward in Hakha town.
The CDF branch in Paletwa reported that some of its buildings, including roofs and solar panels, were destroyed.
According to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management of the interim National Unity Government (NUG) it ripped through Rakhine and Chin states as well as Magwe, Mandalay and Sagaing regions and Kachin State throughout the night before ending in northern Burma the following morning.
NUG is collecting information on the death toll and destruction caused by the cyclone.
The heavy rain caused by the storm, which first hit the coastal region of Sittwe town in Rakhine State before passing through the rest of Burma, raised water levels in the rivers and dams along its route.