Thailand flash floods after heavy rains kill 22, affect thousands

Flash floods caused by heavy monsoon rains in Thailand have killed 22 people in recent days, disaster officials said on Monday, as they warned of further sudden flooding this week.

Nineteen others were injured and more than 30,000 households have been affected in 13 provinces over the past 10 days, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said in a statement.

Among the deaths were 10 people, including a Russian couple, who were killed when a landslide slammed into a residential area on Thailand’s popular resort island of Phuket last week.

Thailand flood floods continue until Thursday

The department also warned about 31 provinces in the kingdom’s north and northeast were facing possible flash floods until Thursday.

“The department has ordered local authorities to monitor the weather closely… and put teams and equipment on standby,” a statement said.

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“People should also follow the weather forecast and take warnings seriously,” it added.

‘Move belongings to higher ground’

In Bangkok, local authorities warned residents living on the outskirts of the city and along the river to prepare to move their belongings to higher ground.

Three workers, including two Chinese nationals and one person from Myanmar, were also missing Monday after soil fell into a high-speed train tunnel under construction in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima.

While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, man-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

– By: © Agence France-Presse