BANGKOK: Authorities in Thailand issued flash flood warnings for eight southern provinces on Monday (Oct 17) ahead of more rain expected this week, with areas in nearly 40 per cent of the country’s provinces still inundated and dealing with flood waters.
The warning includes the resort island of Phuket, where a flash flood on Sunday disrupted local transport and tourism businesses in some areas. Navy personnel in the island’s main town were seen carrying the elderly on their backs through streets, knee-deep in brown water.
Heavy rain and tropical storms since last month have caused flooding in 59 of Thailand’s 77 provinces, impacting 450,000 homes, according to the interior ministry.