River overflow, runoff affect tens of thousands from 10 provinces in Thailand

Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-17 19:32:53|Editor: Zhou Xin
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BANGKOK, Oct.17 (Xinhua) -- Runoff and river overflow resulted from torrential rains have affected over 144,000 people from nearly 53,700 households in upper and central Thailand, authorities said on Tuesday.

Chayaphol Thitisak, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department under the Interior Ministry said heavy rains during Oct. 10-16 had swamped 10 provinces in Thailand's northern, northeastern and central parts, with 144,926 people and 53,696 households in 36 districts affected.

According to Chayaphol, three people were killed during the past week.

Two more deaths have been reported on Tuesday.

The head of a wildlife sanctuary died when his pickup truck was swept away by powerful mountain runoff in north-central Thailand's Phechabun Province shortly before dawn on Tuesday as heavy downpours, flash floods and landslides battered the district, according to Daily News.

On the same day, a car fell into a submerged farmland with floodwater two meters deep in central Thailand's Ayutthaya Province, and the driver was drowned, according to Thairaith Newspaper.

The Interior Ministry has coordinated with military units and local organizations to help the affected. Machinery, pumps and pushers have deployed to drain the water into main waterways.

Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda on Tuesday affirmed that Bangkok residents should not be worried over the potential danger of flooding from northern run-offs as the Royal Irrigation Department is in control of water in dams and 12 water-retention fields in upstream areas could absorb floodwater before it reached the capital.

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