One Million Hit By Disasters In Southern Thai Provinces

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Nearly one million hit by disasters

By The Nation

Raging floods have upset the lives of nearly one million people in eight southern provinces during the past 10 days.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department yesterday said that since March 23, the inundation had affected 998,867 people in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Surat Thani, Trang, Chumphon, Songkhla, Krabi and Phang Nga.

Nakhon Si Thammarat

Nakhon Si Thammarat Governor Thira Mintarasak yesterday said 42 flood victims including one pregnant woman were already airlifted from a risky zone in Noppitham district.

"Floods have marooned their hometowns," he said.

Because floodwater made so many roads in the district impassable, relevant officials had to rely on helicopters and other types of aircraft in delivering relief items to affected people.

In Sichon district, more than 400 people were evacuated in the face of growing landslide risks.

Surat Thani

Floodwater was up to four metres deep in some areas of the Phunphin district yesterday.

Locals could do nothing but climb up to the roofs of their houses to avoid being submerged or swept away.

Many portions of Highway 41 in the province were also heavily flooded. No vehicles could brave past those portions, forcing many motorists to stay overnight at petrol stations along the way.

In the wake of serious flooding, train services in the province were also paralysed. Many victims have had to live without electricity for days now.

Krabi

Natural disasters here have forced the evacuations of about 3,800 people.

The Khao Phanom District Hospital said landslides killed at least six people and injured 17 others. After the flood hit, the hospital also found a young boy who died by drowning.

Chumphon

As many as 60,887 people in eight districts here have been suffering from floods, landslides and storms.

It was estimated that the disasters had caused at least Bt63 million in damages.

As soil up the local mountains was clearly saturated with water following days of cloudbursts, landslides started wreaking havoc.

"Rocks and big land masses already flattened a house and a road here," Moo 8 deputy village chief Nipat Khamkerd said, "Hundreds of rai of farmland have also been ravaged".

His village is located in Chumphon's Sawi district.

Nipat said he already ordered locals to move out of the village for safety reason.

"I think we have to evacuate everyone from the village," he said.

Trang

After embankment walls along the Trang River burst in the middle of Thursday night, floodwater submerged many houses and government offices in this province.

Many people lamented that the flood hit so suddenly that they had no time to move their belongings to higher ground at all.

Because floodwater was everywhere, locals had to move around in boats.

At some spots, people were seen fishing from floodwater.

Phatthalung

Flooding has already caused Bt103 million in damages to this southern province, according to provincial disasterpreventionandmitigation chief Thanakorn Tabanpruek.

He said the inundation damaged 97 roads and six bridges.

This was in addition to damages sustained by 138 schools, temples, mosques and health stations.

Thanakorn said he was closely monitoring the situation along the Bantad Mountain Range in Phatthalung's Kong Ra, Srinagrarindra, Si Banphot, and Pa Phayom districts.

"We are ready to evacuate people roundtheclock if the landslide looks set to strike," he added.

Phang Nga

Two people were reported missing amid the storm and ferocious torrents of water.

Anan Jangjaitham, 58, fell overboard when a rainstorm hit his fishing trawler on Monday night.

"We tried to help him but that's not possible," Captain Sing Ninphan said. To date, all crewmen were still trying to discover Anan's body.

Kapong district chief Prakob Sritawee said Pimon Kaewkrajang, a deputy village head, was swept away when runoff water from forest broke his raft on Wednesday.

Pimon was on his way to attend a meeting of officials.

"Till now, we have not yet been able to locate his body," the district chief said.

Songkhla

Songkhla Governor Winyu Thongsakul yesterday handed out relief items to people whose seaside houses suffered damages from high waves.

"For completely damaged houses, we will give Bt30,000 compensation each," he said.

For partial damages, Winyu said actual repair cost would determine the amount of compensation.

-- The Nation 2011-04-02

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Devastated villagers emptied of residents

By The Nation

Fatalities rise to 25 while nearly a million have been affected; Govt to provide Bt1.5-billion flood relief to households

Helicopters have evacuated a large number of villagers from a critical floodhit spot in Nopphitam district, along with others from three villages in Nakhon Si Thammarat in Sichon district covered by waves of mudslides.

The number of flood fatalities, according to a report by the government's adhoc relief centre yesterday, has increased to 25, including those in Khao Phanom district in Krabi where an entire village was swept away by a landslide.

The number of those affected by the floods has jumped to nearly a million.

In Nopphitam, villagers were lined up by soldiers and helicopters to prevent them from scrambling to the airlifts out of panic.

At all sites a total of five helicopters are flying villagers to safer places and bringing in relief supplies for those still left in their homes.

Around 400 residents of three villages in Nopphitam district faced flash floods and mudslides last night while three villages with 400 residents in Sichon district were hit early yesterday morning.

Surat Thani still faces deep flooding, with most government offices inundated and three metres of floodwater reported in lowlying areas.

Many residential areas in Muang and other inner districts are still without electricity and tap water for a second day. Tapi district is the most heavily flooded both in terms of height and area because it is located near the overflowing Tapi river.

The Army said annual conscription at two locations in Nopphitam district and Koh Pha Ngan district in Surat Thani is being made difficult due to high flooding but overall operations are continuing until further notice. The conscription process kicked off yesterday and ends on April 12.

The body of a local hero, seen saving a man before himself drowning, was found yesterday in Sichon district after 20 hours. Chanthaburi native Wannayuti Manajit, 52, rescued a man swept away in strong currents but he drowned and went missing, according to police and eyewitnesses.

The Cabinet will consider a Bt1.5billion relief fund next week. The money will go towards providing each of 290,000 affected households with 5,000 baht as well as purchasing equipment and relief supplies.

The payment will be ready after the Songkran festival break after April 15 for three groups of recipients: those suffering from urgent damage to their homes; those who could evacuate but suffered property damage; and those whose homes were damaged by mudslides.

PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said those not falling under the three categories would be entitled to other types of compensation, but from other central or local government funds outside of the Bt1.5 billion budget.

A total of 2,500 survival kits have been distributed to flood victims courtesy of HRH Princess Somsawali, while an Army medical team and 1,500 packages of medicine have been dispatched to the South along with nine tonnes of relief supplies.

More military equipment and personnel from Bangkok and local units have been mobilised to help with rescue and flood relief operations, said an Army spokesperson.

Water has not been released excessively from Ratchaprapha Dam in Surat Thani's Ta Khun district, as rumoured by frustrated villagers, said dam director Phongsak Pholphruek.

"The dam now contains only 68 per cent of its total capacity," he said, adding that this meant there had been no release of water as there was no reason to do so.

-- The Nation 2011-04-02

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Sound of helicopter brings joy to the stranded

By The Nation

A flood victim in Nopphitam district in Nakhon Si Thammarat says she was in jubilation when she heard the hum of helicopter rotors over the horizon while awaiting an airlift at the peak of a knoll, overlooking homes inundated by flood water and mud.

"I am speechless - all I can say is that I am still alive and have a chance to see my children again," said a tearful Saowakhon Jansri.

After being admitted into a relief shelter, she said the entire village in tambon Krung Ching was cut off and under heavy rain for seven days, but her children at the province's Walailak University had notified authorities of the incident and coordinated help and eventually the airlift.

The villagers relied on grass and vegetation to survive for the seven-day period after they were cut out from the outside world. The situation got even worse when mobile-phone signals died after the electricity went out, and land-line phones were also down.

She said it was the heaviest rain she had ever witnessed, and thunder struck frequently. "The constant loud noise of flash floods around the village was frightening, and kept everyone awake," she added.

The last floods struck homes built in lower-lying areas, before the villagers ran up to Saowakhon's home at the top of the hill to find their last high ground.

"They gathered at my home, about 60 of them, to wait for a day or two. We brought together dry food to cook and share, before we ran out of it and turned to vegetation.

"We are lucky that there was a mobile-phone tower nearby still capable of transmitting. We relied on this as the only communication channel to my children, who got help to us at last," she said.

-- The Nation 2011-04-02

[asiawatcher]

All anyone can hope is the Govt digs deep to help them all, not just funds for repairing infrastructure.