Washed away: A resident salvaging belongings floating in floodwaters inside her home following heavy rain in Narathiwat. — AFP
Flooding driven by heavy rains in southern Thailand has killed nine people and displaced more than 13,000, officials said, as rescue teams using boats and jet skis worked to reach stranded residents.
Local media footage yesterday showed residents wading through murky, chest-deep water and cars submerged in flooded streets.
“Flooding across eight provinces in southern Thailand has affected 553,921 households and claimed nine lives, prompting agencies to mobilise urgent assistance,” the country’s disaster agency said on its official Facebook page.
More than 13,000 people had been forced to flee their homes, with temporary shelters set up in schools and temples, it added.
Nampa, a resident of coastal Songkhla province, told state broadcaster Thai PBS she was concerned about the dwindling food supplies.
“We are doing fine now, but I am not sure how long we can stay in this condition,” she said.
Two hospitals in nearby Pattani province suspended operations to prevent floodwaters from damaging medical facilities.
The Thai Meteorological Department has warned that “very heavy rain” could continue to affect some areas of the country’s south through next week.
The government has deployed rescue teams to assist affected residents and designated 50 million baht (RM6.47mil) in flood relief for each province.
On Friday, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on X that the goal was to “restore normalcy as quickly as possible”.
While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, scientists say man-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
Widespread flooding across the country in 2011 killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes. — AFP
