Thailand Floods Leave 19 Dead and Over 1.8 Million Affected
The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand released a report on Monday, September 28, revealing that since September 16, the nationwide flooding disaster in Thailand has claimed the lives of 19 people and affected over 40 provinces, totaling 1.8 million people impacted.
Official reports indicate that the 19 deceased individuals were scattered across 23 affected provinces in the country, with the main causes of death being drowning and electrocution from flooded areas. Local media reports suggest that due to continuous rainfall and several upstream reservoirs reaching full capacity, water levels are expected to rise further in provinces such as Kanchanaburi and Rayong in the east.
Starting from last Thursday, September 24, Bangkok has been experiencing extreme heavy rainfall, leading to 50 districts in the capital entering a state of flood disaster. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration confirmed on Monday that nearly 330,000 households in the capital have been affected, affecting a population of 700,000.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt mentioned that while the situation of flooding in the central business district of Bangkok has improved, extensive flooding remains in low-lying peripheral areas, with a predicted completion of drainage restoration possibly taking two to three weeks.
The Thai government has declared Monday to Tuesday (29th) as public holidays for Bangkok and three surrounding provinces, with government offices and schools suspending operations to alleviate inconveniences caused by the floods to the public.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin convened an emergency cross-sector meeting on Monday, announcing the establishment of a unified command structure with Bangkok Governor Chadchart appointed as the overall commander to mobilize all military, police, disaster relief, and water resource resources to expedite drainage and disaster relief efforts.