Six dead in floods in southern Thailand

Floods in southern Thailand have killed at least six people and affected tens of thousands of households, authorities said on December 27.

A woman carries her belongings as she walks through floodwaters following heavy rain in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat on Dec. 25, 2023

The dead included an 89-year-old woman and a toddler in Narathiwat, said deputy provincial governor Preecha Nualnoi, adding that another person was still missing following days of intense rain, which sparked floodwaters that reached around 3m in height in some places.

The floods, which began on December 22, have hit more than 70,000 homes across the provinces of Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, regional officials said.

Relief teams worked by night to hand out bottled water and snacks and check buildings for damage or casualties.

Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said the water level had dropped on December 27 morning.

Some rail services in Narathiwat province, which borders Malaysia, had resumed following days of closure due to track subsidence, according to Preecha.

The kingdom's rainy season typically brings months of daily deluges but scientists say man-made climate change can make rainfall more intense. In 2011, widespread flooding killed hundreds and damaged millions of homes around the country./.

VNA