Narathiwat: Southerners remain in trouble although floods start receding

Southerners remain in trouble although floods start receding
By Digital Content



NARATHIWAT, Dec 29 -- Many southerners in provinces near the Thai-Malaysian border remain in difficulty due to floodig although floodwaters began to recede in some areas on Sunday, officials said.

In Narathiwat province, rain fell again this morning while all 13 districts are still under water.

Five villages in Tak Bai and Sungai Kolok districts remain in critical situation because the Sungai Kolok River overflowed by 1.89 metres after floodwaters from Malaysia’s Kelantan, now facing the biggest flood problems among that country's eight affected states, flowed toward the sea through Thailand's Tak Bai, officials said.

At least two houses in Narathiwat’s Sukhirin district collapsed due to soil erosion resulted from the strong flood current, officials said.

No casualties were reported but property was damaged.

People living in a Malaysian town in Kelantan, opposite Su-ngai Kolok district, are now in the dark after electricity officials to stopped supplying electricity for three consecutive days.

As communication is extremely difficult, food has also become scarce.

Many Malaysians were forced to cross the border to buy gasoline from petrol stations in Su-ngai Kolok district, which is much more expensive than in Malaysia.



They wanted to fill fuel in their boats so that they could evacuate their flood-stricken areas.

Simultaneously, people in Su-ngai Kolok have also started hoarding fuel out of concern of s possible oil shortage in the district, officials said.

In nearby Yala province, concerned officials said excessive water discharged from Bang Lang Dam would not affect people living in the provincial seat because rainfall in the province is declining while floodwaters are being carried away by two major rivers. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-12-29