PHUKET: Many parts of this southern island resort province have been flooded, causing traffic chaos, following heavy downpours from early Saturday night to yesterday.
Governor Narong Woonciew said all disaster prevention and mitigation centres and local administrations had been told to mobilise manpower and equipment to help flood victims, adding the water levels varied: knee-deep at some locations, waist-deep at other spots.
In Phuket’s old town, renowned for its unique Sino-Portuguese architecture landmarks, for instance, flood waters were between half a metre to 1 metre deep earlier in the day, said the governor. Later in the day, flood waters had receded in most parts of the province, especially in the Patong area where roads were covered by mud left after the floods had receded, he said.
Many flood victims, however, remain at temporary shelters set up across the province set up to take those people, including some bed-ridden patients, who were evacuated over the weekend. The rare flooding in Phuket yesterday disrupted air travellers, many of whom missed their flights out of the city, while those arriving struggled to reach their hotels or homes.
Phuket international airport asked passengers to leave for the airport 3-4 hours earlier than their scheduled departures to avoid missing flights.
Despite the warning, some tourists still missed their flights because of traffic congestion on roads to the airport due to flooding, although airports extended service at check-in counters by 20 minutes to one hour, the provincial public relations office said, citing Ratchadaporn O-in, chief of the tourism and sports office in Phuket.
As officials tried to help people on the island affected by floods, weather forecasters warned of yet more rain or even downpours would lash Phuket and other provinces along the Andaman coast today.
“Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun should beware of possible flash floods and runoff,” said Charan Yiemvej, a forecaster at the Meteorological Department in Bangkok. The chance of rain on the island was 70% from today to Wednesday, according to the department.
According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, 15 communities in Muang, Thalang and Kathu districts of Phuket as well as some parts of Takua Pa district of neighbouring Phangnga province were flooded yesterday after a night long of torrential rain that coupled with the impact of high seas.
Udomporn Kan, chief of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, said the flooded areas included tambons Thep Kasattri, Si Sunthorn, Patong, Kamala, Choeng Thalay and Pa Khlok in Thalang district.
He said a landslide occurred on the uphill slope towards Patong mountain. Patong fire department staff were removing the fallen earth from the road. Many power posts also fell across the road, prompting the Provincial Electricity Authority to temporarily cut off the power.
Pol Col Pisit Chuenphet, the Thalang police chief, said Thep Kasattri road was passable only to big vehicles.