Pathum Thani Residents Forced To Evacuate As Sluice Gates Break

[webfact]

Pathum Thani residents forced to evacuate as sluice gates break

The Nation

Public told not to panic amid 'huge' water volumes

Residents of Pathum Thani’s Rattanakosin area and the White House estate, as well as people living in the Rangsit area were told to move out yesterday after the sluice gates of Khlong Ban Phrao in Sam Khok district fell apart.

The Government’s Flood Relief Operation Centre spokesman Wim Rungwattanajinda yesterday urged Pathum Thani residents especially Rangsit as well as those in Northern Bangkok's Sai Mai and Don Muang districts to evacuate to the Don Muang Airport or Thammasat University Rangsit Campus. Those in White House and Rattanakosin villages, at risk of onemeterdeep flood should move first, he added.

Science Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi said he was sorry about what happened despite the officials' best attempts to repair the busted floodwalls. Although the situation was bleak, he however urged people not to panic as they still had time to act by moving belongings to secondfloors, parking cars at higher grounds, evacuating from their homes although they were secondstorey. "...The water amount is immense. We will stand side by side and we will survive but I cannot think of anything right now...," he said in shaky voice urging atrisk people to evacuate to Don Muang first.

In the later press conference, Flood Relief Operation Centre director Pracha Phromnok told the public not to panic and officials were working hard on repair the Pathum Thani busted floodwalls, as the team that had successfully repaired the Sing Buri's Bang Chomsri sluice gate went in to help.

Meanwhile some 2,000 families were evacuated from 70cmdeepflooded Parichart Village in Pathum Thani's Muang district to temporary shelters yesterday afternoon, as the electricity for the village was also cut for safety. The nearby 345 Road was also impassable as it was under onemeterdeep flood.

Pathum Thani Governor Peerasak Hinmuangkao said the sluice gates at Wat Pa Fai, Wat Tamnak and Wat Hong Pathummawas were beyond repair, and were therefore allowing water into Muang district. He said authorities were trying to divert the water via Khlong Rangsit 16.

With Tambon Chiang Rak Noi, Chiang Rak Yai, Ban Ngew and Ban Pathum in Pathum Thani's Sam Khok district facing rising water levels, the Provincial Administrative Organisation chief Chan Poungpetch said some residents were blocking officials from building makeshift dykes because they wanted everyone to share their problems.

Meanwhile, Pathum Thani Hospital director Dr Songpol Chawaltanpipat said he was confident that all emergency cases could be tended to. At present, the hospital has 160 inpatients without respiratory aid, though critical cases have been moved to other hospitals.

In Thanyaburi district, officials have been piling up sandbags to block floodwater at the Chulalongkorn sluice gate between Rangsit canal and the Chao Phraya River. Water at the site rose 10centimetres higher than the flood embankment and 1.2metres higher than the slice gate's water level.

In Nonthaburi, overflows from the Nakhon Nonthaburi Municipality's Bang Phraek 1 Slice Gate poured into Sanam Bin Nam Road in front of the Corrections Department and inundated many lowlying areas. Communities along the Chao Phraya River were under a metre of water and sandbag barriers were built to stop the water from flowing into the inner city.

Inmates from Nonthaburi Prison were seen piling on more sandbags and lining up hundreds of 200litre oil drums to further shore up the embankments, while people living by the Nonthaburi Pier built concrete walls in front of their homes and stockpiled food and drinking water.

In Nakhon Sawan's Muang district, Sawan Pracharak Hospital and five other private hospitals announced temporary closure yesterday as 650 patients were transported to other hospitals such as the Jiraprawat Camp Hospital and other provinces. Meanwhile, 10 patients in critical state were airlifted to hospitals in Phitsanulok. Authorities at Jiraprawat Camp Hospital have complained of overcrowding and are asking for more camp beds, while an emergency medical unit was set up at the Phaholyothin intersection with medical staff from Phayao, Chiang Rai and Nan lending hand.

In Lop Buri, where 70,000 families have been suffering from inundation for more than a month, 2,000 people were diagnosed as being severely depressed and 500 of them need medication because they are suicidal, provincial public health officer Dr Sirichai Limsakul said.

Flood levels in Lop Buri continues to rise by 3cm to 5cm, while districts to the west like Ban Mi, Tha Wung and Muang remain totally submerged. Since the Royal Irrigation Department has been diverting water through the Manoron sluice gate as well as the Chai NatPasak canal at 60 million cubic metres per day, Lop Buri's governor is calling on officials to raise the floodwalls along the canal by a metre.

Meanwhile the Royal Irrigation Department has urged officials in Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Bangkok to strengthen floodwalls to handle seawater inflows from yesterday to Tuesday, especially since the tide at the Memorial Bridge was reported to have reached 2.2 metres yesterday.

The speed of water measured in Nakhon Sawan stood at 4,686 cubic metres per second, in Chai Nat's Chao Phraya Dam at 3,625, in Sing Buri at 2,880, Angthong at 2,648 and in Ayutthaya's Bang Sai district at 3,777 cubic meters per second. Most of these figures are lower than those reported a day earlier because the Bhumibol, Sirikit and Pasak Chonlasit dams are releasing less water at 60 million, 20 million and 38 million cubic metres per day respectively.

-- The Nation 2011-10-14

[tominbkk]

Much more interesting story in the Bangkok Post about the tomfoolery and false alarms going on in the emergency center amongst this band of buffoons running the government. Check it out.

[Moruya]

The flood prevention infrastructure is crumbling everywhere

[BigBikeBKK]

Much more interesting story in the Bangkok Post about the tomfoolery and false alarms going on in the emergency center amongst this band of buffoons running the government. Check it out.

The Bangkok Post flood coverage is much more comprehensive and up to date.

Can someone tell me why we aren't allowed to link to the Bangkok Post?

[Crossy]

Can someone tell me why we aren't allowed to link to the Bangkok Post?

Bangkok Post have specifically prohibited Thaivisa from linking to their articles, not our decision.

[marquess]

Much more interesting story in the Bangkok Post about the tomfoolery and false alarms going on in the emergency center amongst this band of buffoons running the government. Check it out.

The Bangkok Post flood coverage is much more comprehensive and up to date.

Can someone tell me why we aren't allowed to link to the Bangkok Post?

Yes it is a more comprehensive coverage and it would seem that the story of the sluice gate is one of false alarm. I think that in these aquatic times we need the best information from all sources!

[Scott]

I wish they had a spokesperson who issued alerts, warnings and evacuation notices and updates for the city. They need to have a procedure in place for issuing reasonably reliable information and a system of accountability.

I feel a little like I have two people with guns pointed at me telling me to do different things.

Surely a few bad engineers could do a better job of issuing accurate information.

[webfact]

Pathum Thani Governor expects completion of Ban Phrao sluice gate repairs today, says Flood Relief Operations Centre evacuation warning causes panic /MCOT

[tominbkk]

I wish they had a spokesperson who issued alerts, warnings and evacuation notices and updates for the city. They need to have a procedure in place for issuing reasonably reliable information and a system of accountability.

Yes, indeed, the misinformation going around last night caused much unnecessary panic and stress. Shame on the government for not controlling their information better.

[w11guy]

Can someone tell me why we aren't allowed to link to the Bangkok Post?

Bangkok Post have specifically prohibited Thaivisa from linking to their articles, not our decision.

It's not possible for a website to prohibit link to them. Add one and you will see that it works.

[GentlemanJim]

Can someone tell me why we aren't allowed to link to the Bangkok Post?

Bangkok Post have specifically prohibited Thaivisa from linking to their articles, not our decision.

It's not possible for a website to prohibit link to them. Add one and you will see that it works.

And then you will see the link deleted.

[wana]

Can someone tell me why we aren't allowed to link to the Bangkok Post?

Bangkok Post have specifically prohibited Thaivisa from linking to their articles, not our decision.

It's not possible for a website to prohibit link to them. Add one and you will see that it works.

it is possible to disable hyperlinks on most forum software ,i know of many forums that have done it

for one reason or another

[joka]

Maybe someone can post the headline to this great Bangkok Post article so at least I can find it. TIA.

[TackyToo]

Much more interesting story in the Bangkok Post about the tomfoolery and false alarms going on in the emergency center amongst this band of buffoons running the government. Check it out.

And who sparked the false alarm? No lesser than the notorious master of desaster himself: PlodprasopSuraswadi ! Already a legend of his own lunch time for previous brainless stunts.

[TackyToo]

Can someone tell me why we aren't allowed to link to the Bangkok Post?

Bangkok Post have specifically prohibited Thaivisa from linking to their articles, not our decision.

Sorry, if this is off topic. Has anyone an idea if the roads to the Immigration in Chang Wattana are flooded?

[Gippy]

Can someone tell me why we aren't allowed to link to the Bangkok Post?

Bangkok Post have specifically prohibited Thaivisa from linking to their articles, not our decision.

Sorry, if this is off topic. Has anyone an idea if the roads to the Immigration in Chang Wattana are flooded?

All clear, drove past it about 2 hours ago.

[WarpSpeed]

Can someone tell me why we aren't allowed to link to the Bangkok Post?

Bangkok Post have specifically prohibited Thaivisa from linking to their articles, not our decision.

Sorry, if this is off topic. Has anyone an idea if the roads to the Immigration in Chang Wattana are flooded?

Kind of depends on which direction you're coming from, but Cheang Whattahana is clear though..

[Richard W]

It's not possible for a website to prohibit link to them. Add one and you will see that it works.

I suspect the problem is actually that BP stories got quoted so extensively that the BP could legitimately sue TV for breach of copyright - TV warnings on quoting stories were being regularly ignored. There may also be the risk of BP frivolously suing TV simply for allowing links to be posted.

[TAWP]

Has anyone an idea if the roads to the Immigration in Chang Wattana are flooded?

It should be clear still - or have minimal flooding incase the rain persists, but that is unrelated to the flooding more north.

[arkom]

Has anyone an idea if the roads to the Immigration in Chang Wattana are flooded?

It should be clear still - or have minimal flooding incase the rain persists, but that is unrelated to the flooding more north.

Pass by there today and dry, no signs of flooding what so ever.