Flash floods caused by heavy monsoon rains in southern Thailand have left seven people confirmed dead in Nakhon Si Thammarat and one in Surat Thani, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanavisit said on Monday.
Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanavisit
The minister said the death toll was confirmed by the National Flood Relief Coordination Centre.
Mr Jurin said he had instructed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prepare 100,000 emergency medical supplies packages for people in flood-hit areas.
The FDA had sent 20,000 packages to Nakhon Si Thammarat, the hardest hit among the eight affected southern provinces.
"Twelve state hospitals and provincial public health offices in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani have been destroyed by the deluge," Mr Jurin said.
However, Tha Sala Hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Tha Sala district, which was less than one metre of water yesterday, was able to provide field services to out-patients today after the water level receded.
The other six provinces ravaged by the flooding are Chumphon, Ranong, Trang, Songkhla, Phatthalung and Satun.
National Flood Relief Coordination Centre deputy director Vittayen Muttamara said each province can request an immediate emergency budget to help people in flood-hit areas.
More than 268,000 people in 42 districts in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Surat Thani, Trang and Chumphon were affected by flooding, he said.
Mr Vittayen said there might be heavy rain in the South again tonight but the situation should ease by the end of the week.
Nakhon Si Thammarat governor Thira Mintrasak said the flooding in Nakhon Si Thammarat has yet to improve and heavy rain continues to fall in most areas of the province.
Rescue teams, including soldiers from the Fourth Army Region and volunteers, were working in flooded areas to provide food and medical supplies to people in need - particularly elderly and sick people, the disabled, children and pregnant women, Mr Thira said.
Reports said Chumphon province continued to be battered by strong winds and big waves.
A rescue team had been sent to help six students stranded on Chumphon's Koh Klaep.
And there was an unconfirmed tragedy in Phatthalung province, where an eight-year-old child was reported to have drowned in the floodwaters.
Bangkok Post
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