Storm Abates After Killing Seven In Thailand

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Storm abates after killing seven in Thailand

BANGKOK, August 4, 2011 (AFP) - Seven people have died in flooding across northern Thailand caused by the tail end of tropical storm Nock-ten, which left more than 60 people dead in the Philippines, officials said Thursday.

Rising waters affected the livelihoods of almost half a million people, with 16 provinces inundated since last week, Thailand's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said.

Twelve people were injured and four remain missing in floods and mudslides caused by unusually heavy rain across north and northeastern parts of Thailand due to Nock-ten, which has been downgraded to a depression, the department added.

Nock-ten, named after a Laotian bird, left at least 66 people dead and 17 others missing in the Philippines when it struck the country last month.

Most of those killed in the Philippines were said to be drowned or buried in landslides, while most of the missing were fishermen who vanished at sea when the storm hit.

Nock-ten also claimed one life in Vietnam when it arrived late Saturday.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-08-04

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Nine dead, six missing in landslides, flood-related incidents, 17 provinces affected by tropical storm Nock-Ten: Public Health Ministry /MCOT

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Landslides, floods kill 9, 6 others missing

BANGKOK, Aug 4 - Nine people died and six are missing in landslides, drowning and other storm- and flood-related incidents in Thailand's North and Northeast, as the number of flood-hit provinces rose to 17, according to Public Health Ministry's deputy permanent secretary Dr Narong Sahamethapat.

The northern province of Mae Hong Son recorded the highest number of deaths with three people, two of them boys, dying in landslides triggered by incessant downpours in Sop Moei district. Chiang Mai has registered two more deaths, while Sukhothai, Sakon Nakhon, Phrae and Udon Thani provinces have one death each.

There are 7,000 patients with water-borne diseases such as athlete's foot and colds, Dr Narong said, adding that 79,000 sets of medicine have been distributed to them. Flooding also affected 10 local hospitals and one disease-control centre in Chiang Mai's Bosang district, the senior health ministry official said, adding that they remain open for services.

Seventeen provinces--12 in the North and five in the Northeast--are affected by flooding: Phare, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Lampoon, Lampang, Uttradit, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Nan, Phayao, Mae Hong Son, Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon, Bung Kan, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom and Phichit.

Dr Narong also said people in the four northern provinces of Uttradit, Nan, Phrae and Phitsanulok have been warned to stay away from areas at risk of being hit by landslides. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-08-04

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Death toll rises in flood-hit North

By The Nation

Floodrelated death tolls have already risen to nine with six missing people reported, Public Health Ministry's deputy permanent secretary Dr Narong Sahamethapat said yesterday.

The northern province of Mae Hong Son recorded the highest number of deaths with three people, two of them boys, dying in landslides triggered by incessant downpours in Sop Moei district. Chiang Mai has registered two more deaths, while Sukhothai, Sakon Nakhon, Phrae and Udon Thani provinces have one death each.

NockTen storm has sent floods to as many as 17 provinces.

Although the situation has already returned to normal in Nan and Nong Khai, flooding has remained serious in many other provinces.

In Mae Hong Son, landslide blocked the Mae Sariang - Mae Sam Lab Road severing access to many local villages. More than 200 rangers thus trekked through mountainous areas for about eight hours to reach Ban Pu Thai in Sop Moei district where a fatal landslide erupted on Wednesday.

The landslide claimed three lives, injured 12 other people and left four others missing.

"We have already retrieved the bodies of the three victims," 7th Infantry Division deputy chief Colonel Suthas Jarumanee said yesterday, "We have to act fast otherwise more downpours may hit. Aside, the injured victims are waiting for help".

Searches for the missing continued as of press time.

In Tambon Mae Suad, more than 100 families along the Mae Ngao River were marooned and running short of food as well as drinking water.

"The torrents of water remain too strong for us to reach them even with boats. So, we have to wait first," Sop Moei assistant district chief officer Lormdej Yajai said.

In Sukhothai, several areas as well as farmlands remained flooded for three consecutive days now.

According to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, hundreds of thousand people are struggling with floods.

The Public Health Ministry has sent mobile medical units to the floodhit zones to ease the woes of affected people.

To date, these units have already treated 7,000 patients. The most common illnesses are waterborne diseases such as athlete's foot and colds.

-- The Nation 2011-08-05