Severe Flooding Kills 14 in Thailand; Southern Tourist Islands Inundated
Heavy flooding in Thailand has killed 14 people and has inundated southern holiday islands ahead of the December-January high season for tourism.
According to Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Chatchai Promlert, severe storms have battered the popular tourist destinations since the beginning of the month and have killed at least 14 people, reports the Bangkok Post.
The flooding has affected 582,000 residents in 11 southern provinces, he said, adding that 676 roads and 33 local bridges were also damaged by floods.
More than 12 inches of rain was measured in the southeastern part of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province at Hua Sai at the end of last week, said weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam.
"There has been heavier rain than usual which has caused drainage problems," Nongyao Jirundom of the state Tourism Authority of Thailand on Samui island told Reuters.
The floods have severely affected the south, including the popular islands of Samui and Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand.
The rail link to the south and Malaysia beyond has been cut off from the floodwaters, reports the Bangkok Post.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun provided relief bags for residents Wednesday in flood-ravaged provinces, the Post also reports.
After an inspection of the affected areas, 4th Army chief Lt Gen Piyawat Nakwanich told reporters he had ordered all 22 branches of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Centre to quickly provide relief to the victims.
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