Thousands ill as torrential rain wrecks havoc on 36 provinces

Over 50,000 people are suffering from waterborne diseases after floods have hit 36 provinces, and the drowning of a Chaiyaphum woman and her grandson yesterday brought the death toll to 16.

Hui Sirusuk, 65, and grandson Manas Chuangsamrong, 8, were the latest fatal victims of floods in Chaiyaphum's Nong Bua Daeng district, said Caretaker Interior Minister Kowit Wattana, who handed relief bags to 300 residents of Muang Chaiyaphum yesterday. Sixteen districts in Chaiyaphum have been flooded, affecting 165,757 residents and causing damage initially estimated at Bt49.7 million.

Permanent secretary for Public Health Prat Boonyawongwiroj said 53,946 people were sick because of flooding from September 11 to Friday. He said 35 per cent of them had athlete's foot, 27 per cent colds and 15 per cent diarrhoea. The ministry recorded that during the past nine days 14 people had been killed in floods, mostly swept away by torrents.

Meanwhile 1,200 royal relief bags have been given to flood victims in Phichit and Lop Buri. HM the King's representative gave 500 to Tambon Haui Khen residents in Phichit's Bang Mun Nak district while HM the Queen's representative gave 700 bags and nine flat-bottomed boats to residents of Lop Buri's Muang and Ban Mi districts.

Eight districts in Lop Buri were flooded, affecting 35,000 families and prompting organisations to send them some 26,000 relief bags and dona¬tions.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and his team delivered 1,480 relief bags to Ban Mi residents and another 980 to Muang Lop Buri residents.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat inspected flood barriers at ancient sites in Muang Ayutthaya. The province's Maharat, Pak Hai, Bang Ban and Bang Sai districts suffered one-metre-deep floodwater.

Local farmers urged Somchai to reconsider floodwater diversion into natural water-retaining fields, which are now their rice fields.

Somchai was also briefed that Phitsanulok, Lop Buri, Sara Buri, Nong Bua Lamphu and Khon Kaen were ravaged by floods, but all except for Lop Buri, which would take a month to recover, should be back to normal in four days given no more rain.

A week of downpours has caused the Lam Pra Pleng Dam in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Thongchai district to reach its capacity of 110 million cubic metres, dam chief Jamlong Pinitkan said, but the situation is still under control assuming there is no more heavy rain above the dam.

He urged people living downstream to follow news and prepare in case of flooding. Heavy rains also brought floods that damaged 70,000 rai of farmland and affected 274,194 residents in Maha Sarakham.

In Uttaradit, 426 villages in nine dis¬tricts are at risk of flash floods, and authorities have dispatched officials to inform residents of evacuation plans in case of emergency.

Bangkok city clerk Pongsak Semsan affirmed that the rising Chao Phraya River, predicted to reach 1.12 metres last night, was not a menace as flood barriers could cope with 2.2 metres.