"Nowhere to run": Life on Myanmar's Inle Lake after the earthquake

Ma Thazin

It was Nam Pam Market Day. The exact time was 12:50. It lasted more than two and a half minutes and everything was gone.

When the earthquake happened, we were at home taking some rest after cooking and coming back from the market. After the first shock, we thought that was it, but it kept coming. Everything in the house was in chaos and falling down. We had nowhere to run as we are living in the lake. I tried to run but couldn’t and fell on my face. My husband helped me to get up. We hugged two wooden pillars while holding hands and the whole house fell into water with us in it.

We tried to get to the boat, where we had to stay as our house fell. We approached the collapsed house an hour later hoping to take whatever was left. We did not eat or drink water for the whole day as everything we bought from the market fell in the water and was gone. Everybody was crying. We could not help each other as we all were in the same situation.

The day before the earthquake, I saw birds flying in a circle in the sky while I was coming back from visiting my friend. I thought, “something bad will happen to our village.”

I haven’t experienced an earthquake as strong as this in my life. Neither had my parents or grandparents. I couldn’t sleep and stayed awake until two in the morning for about 15 days after the earthquake. I hang the lightbulb and place the water bottle (near me) to signal another earthquake if there is any. I am prepared to run once it comes. It was lucky it did not happen at night - if the earthquake happens at night, everyone will be gone.

The majority of collapsed houses are made of wood. It will cost 30 to 40 million MMK [approx. $14,300 - $19,000 USD] just to repair one wooden house. Some collapsed houses were so new that a house-warming party hadn’t even been organized yet for them.

Fishing is the primary livelihood in our village. Some people trade or do agricultural work. It is impossible to restart the business and building houses will take some time. The main problem is the increased commodity prices. A 16-foot boat and motor costs more than three million MMK [$1,400 USD].

Currently, everybody is busy trying to rebuild the houses. I want to start resettlement as soon as possible. Our house hasn’t been repaired yet. The whole village is impacted; only three or four houses out of 245 houses are left (in the village) but those left are also tilted.

I have been married for three years. During this time, we have faced the heavy burden of rising commodity prices. The second time we tried to rebuild our lives, a flood hit. We tried again, and just a month later, an earthquake struck. We lost everything we had worked so hard for. Now, we do not know how to start over again.

I used to think earthquakes only happened on land, not in the water—but I was wrong. I love living on the lake, but when disasters like this strike, there is nowhere to run.

Daw May Lwin*

In my 49 years of life, I have never experienced an earthquake this intense. Even my 89-year-old mother has never witnessed anything like it.

There are five people in our family. On the day the earthquake struck, only my mother, who is 89 years old, and I were at home. I was at the water tower, washing clothes. The water began to tremble slightly. Moments later, the water tower collapsed, and I was thrown into the water.

As I struggled to stay afloat, the water became thick with mud and debris from the ground. The more I fought to escape, the deeper I sank. But I was incredibly lucky—I managed to get out.

Some broken bamboo from the collapsed tower floated in my direction, and I grabbed onto that. I was wearing a wooden hat and underwater it became a burden. I was gasping for air. I took it off to breathe more freely, though my nose, mouth, and ears were filled with mud. I luckily found something solid beneath me. I stepped on it, holding myself up and got out of the water.

My mother was left alone in the house during the earthquake. She has been paralyzed from the waist down for thirteen years and cannot move without assistance. At that time, my husband was away, helping others with the repair of their homes. When he returned, we carried my mother to safety. 

Our house is a two-story building, and unfortunately, the upper floor had collapsed to the ground, along with the ladder. In our Inle tradition, there is a belief that a family's fortune is tied to the condition of the ladder (to your house) and the kitchen. If the ladder is damaged, it’s seen as a sign that progress or prosperity will be blocked. And if a ladder is repaired, a ritual must be performed.

We lost our water farm, house and two boats. The boats had been docked at the harbor, but they were crushed when a nearby house collapsed onto them. The floating farms were torn apart and destroyed—an estimated 200 acres were damaged.

After the earthquake, I’ve been affected—both physically and emotionally. I feel drained, unable to do anything, and constantly experience a racing or skipping heartbeat. I can’t walk properly and feel unsteady.

Both the uncertainty of the future and the trauma of the experience have been overwhelming. Our water farm was our main source of livelihood, and now it’s gone. We’re deeply grateful to the donors—their support has covered nearly half of our expenses, which is a huge relief, as we couldn’t manage the rebuilding on our own.

My husband is out helping others dismantle their destroyed homes, with the hope that they will return the favor when it's time to take down our house. We support each other in times of need. Right now, I’m hoping to be resettled, but we need wood, and it’s currently out of stock.

With the monsoon approaching, I want to repair our house as quickly as possible. The place we’re staying in right now is fine, but it’s not our own. All five of us are currently living with my uncle. His house was also tilted, but they managed to repair it by adding extra support. However, I’m worried that the house might collapse again if the wind picks up. If the wind is strong enough, I’m concerned that the additional support won’t be able to hold.

*name changed for privacy