North suffers huge damage floods

Flooding is wreaking havoc in Thailand's North, with two people killed and at least one missing.

Two deaths were reported in Nan where flash floods overwhelmed a village in Tha Wang Pha district.

The victims were Amporn Pano, 61, and Som Chaisalee, 65. Their bodies were found at a pump base in Ban Nam Pua, Wiang Sa district yesterday.

On Intiya, 64, has been missing after the flash flood hit her village in Tha Wang Pha district.

Officials and rescue workers are now handing out relief items from HM the King to other flood victims in Nan.

Repairs are also being carried out to reduce flooding impact on the peo¬ple.

"The scale of damage is huge," Tha Wang Pha district chief Manas Khansai said.

As of press time, it was confirmed the flooding destroyed at least eight houses and partially damaged 55 others in the district. Some villages are still doing without electricity after flooding and storm uprooted many electricity poles.

In Chiang Rai, floodwater was a metre high at the worsthit spots in Mae Sai district.

"We are reaching flood victims," Mae Sai municipality mayor Saiyont Srisamut said.

In Wiang Pa Pao district, a por¬tion of the Chiang RaiChiang Mai road was under 50 centimetres of floodwa¬ter as a result small vehicles could not use the road.

"More than 1,000 houses here are flooded and at least five families are now marooned," Tambon Pa Ngiew Administrative Organisation chair¬man Prasit Korluang said yesterday,

Tambon Pa Ngiew is in the Wiang Pa Pao district.

In Chiang Mai, the provincial chief of disaster prevention and mit¬igation said some areas in the province were flooded.

"But the situation is not critical in the Chiang Mai Municipality area," Prajon Prachsakul said.

He said the water level in the Ping River was still lower than three metres, explaining the situation would reach a critical point after the water level touched 3.7metres.

"Now, we have installed 40 pumps. We will clear the floodwater as soon as possible," he said.

So far, Prajon is deeply concerned about the situation in Fang district.

"The water level in Fang River has reached a critical point of 4.7 metres," he said.

Two killed and one missing as attempts are underway to get relief to the affected.

Prajon said he had already alerted the Fang District Office, which was expected to issue a warning to local people.

"People living on the banks of Fang River should closely monitor the situation and move their belong¬ings and livestock to higher grounds," he added.

In Lampang, floods had already hit several villages. About 60 houses were submerged.