Thailand Flood Death Toll Climbs To 13

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Death toll climbs to 13

By The Nation

Thirteen people have now died in floods that ravaged eight Southern provinces, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DPMD) reported yesterday.

The DPMD Emergency Operation Centre said that as of yesterday morning, floods had hit 4,014 villages in 81 districts of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Surat Thani, Trang, Chumphon, Songkhla, Krabi and Phang Nga and affected 842,324 people.

Of the 13 people killed - excluding those who died in the Khao Panom forest flood and landslide in Krabi - nine were in Nakhon Si Thammarat, three in Surat Thani and one in Phatthalung, while 181 people were injured and one is missing - a village headman in Surat Thani's Chaiya district.

Damage to 732,655 rai (117,225 hectares) of farmland has affected 111,827 farmers.

National Flood Relief Coordination Centre deputy director Vittayen Muttamara said landslide risk prompted the urgent evacuation of residents in Ban Phru Sompan in Phuket's Thalang district, Ban Wang Lung in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Phrom Khiri district and Ban Sabua in Surat Thani's Ban Na San district.

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT

Evacuation efforts moved 352 families - or 1,812 people - to three temporary shelters, one in Muang district's Nakhon Si Thammarat Municipality area that can support 1,554, and to the other two shelters in Phrom Khiri district's tambon In Khiri that is accommodating the rest. Tha Sala District Hospital resumed outpatient services but could not take back seriously ill patients because of the uncertain electricity service.

KRABI

Three hundred people gathered for evacuation at Ban Huai Namkaew School in tambon Na Khao in Krabi's Khao Phanom district. At least five deaths and 36 injuries were confirmed from the Ban Ton Harn Ville landslide.

The commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion at the 15th Infantry Regiment Krabi, Colonel Tim Reunto, said a 200strong searchandrescue operation continued yesterday at Ban Ton Harn Ville, but with difficulty. Rain continued and the area of destroyed houses was about the size of two football fields. The village - without electricity, running water and telephone service - was now under 2 metres of mud, he added.

SURAT THANI

A total of 965 people were evacuated to four temporary shelters in Surat Thani, while 1,100 remained on islands in the province.

The helicopter carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet's mission to help stranded people on Koh Tao and Koh Phangan rescued 734 tourists (202 Thais and 532 foreigners) and took them to the Sattahip Naval Base's Juk Samed port. Twenty buses were to transport them to Suvarnabhumi Airport and Chumphon.

Officials were sent by boat with food supplies and relief bags for residents of Ban Tha Kradan in Khiri Rat Nikhom district, which has suffered a 2metredeep inundation for a week. As rain continues and water levels rise, lowlying Phunphin district is under 2 metres of water and about 100 residents of landsliderisk area tambon Khlong Chaoon, Phanom district, were evacuated early yesterday. In Ban Huai Hoy Ville of Kanchanadit district, a landslide destroyed two homes and left five villagers missing.

Koh Samui Airport was reopened and operated according to weather conditions, while southern train services resumed at Surat Thani's Tha Chana station.

TRANG

As rain stopped, water levels in the Banthat Mountain Range at Trang's Na Yong, Yan Ta Khao and Palian districts were expected to lower steadily. However, in the lowlying areas along the Trang River in Wang Wiset, Muang Trang, Sikao and Kantang districts, levels were moving up, affecting 51,865 residents in Trang's 10 districts. The Trang River dike was broken in two spots, at tambon Bang Rak and tambon Nong Trud, and residents were evacuated.

CHUMPHON

Eighteen atrisk people were evacuated to a shelter in Chumphon's Phato district.

PHATTHALUNG

A total of 191 people were moved to a shelter on Khao ChaisonBan Ton Don road in Khao Chaison district.

RANONG

Ranong Marine Police yesterday sent a patrol boat to deliver food supplies to the stranded residents of Ban Koh Sinhai in Muang Ranong district and also prepared to help marooned tourists and seadisaster victims - although no stranded tourists had been reported so far. People can call for help at Ranong Marine Police hotline 1196 or 077811098.

-- The Nation 2011-04-01