U Bein Bridge, the popular tourist attraction thought to be the world’s longest teak footbridge, is underwater following severe flooding in Mandalay Region.
The site, in Amarapura Township, has been closed to the public since August 1 after the Irrawaddy River burst its banks. As of yesterday, the floor of the bridge was under the surface.
The floods, which also swamped the city’s Yadarnapon university campus, have forced thousands of people to relocate from low-lying areas.
Police have been positioned nearby to stop people from crossing, but that hasn’t stopped determined tourists from boarding small boats to get close, the Voice reported.
Local rowers told the paper that the bridge had been similarly flooded in 2004, when the water level on the bridge reached the thigh of an adult.
Here’s hoping there’s not too much damage done, then.
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