BANGKOK: Southern Thailand is grappling with severe flooding that has left at least 13 people dead, inundated a major tourist destination, and forced thousands to flee their homes, authorities said Tuesday.
Days of relentless rainfall have swamped large parts of Songkhla province, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency. The Thai Meteorological Department has warned that more heavy rain and potential flash floods are expected in the coming days.
Hat Yai, one of the region’s busiest tourist hubs, has been among the hardest-hit areas. Torrential downpours since late last week have submerged roads and neighborhoods, leaving residents and visitors stranded in hotels and homes.
Rescue efforts as teams used boats, jet skis, and military trucks to navigate waist-deep waters. Some families resorted to using inflatable children’s pools to ferry their young ones to safety.
“I was stranded for four days,” one Hat Yai resident told local TV station TNN, describing her decision to evacuate with her infant. “I decided to leave because I have an infant, and I am afraid more water will come.”
More severe flooding as the government declared a state of emergency in the worst-hit province of Songkhla after floods affected over 2.1 million people, international media reported Wednesday.
Authorities said that up to 70% of the area in the lower south is forecast to be hit by intense rainfall, raising the risk of flash floods, landslides and rapidly rising water levels, particularly in foothill zones and low-lying communities near waterways.
Officials from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported fatalities across four provinces, as rescue operations and relief efforts continue under worsening weather forecasts.
