At least 98 people killed by floods

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At least 98 people killed by floods
The Nation 2011-09-17

Angthong and Nakhon Sawan are still faced with heavy flooding, holding both extra rain water and flood water travelling southward from the upper North.

The average flood level in Angthong is at 1 to 2 metres, especially in urban areas, where schools and markets are closed.

School staff and teachers shuttle between dry areas transporting school supplies all day, and amidst darkness at night following shortages of electricity.

A water gate in neighbouring Sing Buri broke Thursday night, flooding a vast area and 220 homes in Pho Thong district of Angthong.

In Lop Buri, where stagnant flooding remains for three days after flash floods receded, survival kits presented by HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana were handed out to floodaffected villagers in Ban Mi district.

A swelling Chao Phraya River section in Nakhon Sawan is breaching many long areas of riverside flood embankment walls, prompting hectic emergency repairs using military and volunteer personnel, together with the evacuation of people and transport of belongings in other residential areas and flooded government centres.

A Royal Irrigation Department statement warned of rising rivers and flash floods in riverside areas in 10 provinces from Nakhon Sawan down to Bangkok, after likely swelling during coming peak tides.

There are 173 government clinics inundated, most of them small and at the community level. There are 233,996 people seeking treatment or being treated with five most frequently found diseases: foot infections, colds, muscle pains, rashes and skin diseases, and stress.

An official damage report update released yesterday said there were 195 deaths and two going missing, and 1,148,250 people affected, in 29 provinces still facing flooding.

There were now around 4.8 million rai of farmland and more than 54,000 rai of fish ponds and shrimp farms inundated.

Of those killed, 73 of them drowned, two hit by felling trees, 15 in mudslides and 15 through electrocution.