Severe floods in nine provinces in the South have killed seven people, four of them in the worst-hit Nakhon Si Thammarat, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).

Much of Nakhon Si Thammarat has been battered by the floods from persistent heavy downpours which crippled vast residential areas and government offices.

Pithakpol Boonyamalik, Public Health Ministry inspector, said even though the deluge swept through the province fast, water has begun to stabilise.

Damage was being assessed and emergency responses have been launched to assist flood victims.

Rebuilding work will get under way in three to four days, he said.

Meanwhile, the DDPM said seven people have died as a result of the raging floods which also injured many, including a 14-month-old toddler who has been admitted to an intensive care unit at a hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat which is almost completely under water.

Four of the seven deaths were reported in Nakhon Si Thammarat; one in Nop Phi Tham district, two in Phra Phom district and one in Chalerm Prakiat district. It is unclear in what provinces the three other people died.

The other southern provinces affected by floods are Surat Thani, Phatthalung, Trang, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. In all, 261,253 households in 70 districts have been hit by the floods.

Officials have carried out surveys to gauge the extent of damage in Nakhon Si Thammarat where about 150,000 rai of farmland is devastated by the floods which also destroyed more than 12,000 rai of aquatic animal farms, according to satellite data provided by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda).

The widespread inundation has also left livestock with little land to graze on.

Nakhon Si Thammarat airport remains open and is being served by scheduled flights.

However, parts of the road to the airport were impassable to small vehicles.

The 41th Army Area has been asked to use military vehicles to transport people to the airport.

Meanwhile, the PM's Office Minister Anucha Nakasai said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was concerned about the flood situation in the South.

The government has mobilised manpower and resources of various state agencies to evacuate flood victims and offer necessary help for them, he said.

Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, Democrat Party MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat, said parliament president Chuan Leekpai has formally requested the prime minister deliver urgent help to flood-affected residents. It is unclear how long the clean-up will take or how much it will cost.

Many residents need to be evacuated from their flooded homes. The Interior Ministry ordered local administrative organisations to allocate funds to send rescuers immediately.

In Phatthalung, most areas across its 11 districts were flooded. Railway services to the South have been suspended due to the deluge.

 

Bangkok Post