Cold victims in Thai North exceed 300,000

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, November 24 (TNA) - Temperatures in the Thai North have dropped to below 15 degrees Celsius, resulting in the rising number of cold victims to over 300,000 currently. In Chiang Mai Province alone, Deputy Governor Chana Paenpiboon told reporters on Monday, after the northern resort province has faced the falling temperaturs to below 15 degrees Celsius for three consecutive days, that 330,000 locals in 39 villages of 20 districts have reportedly been affected by the cold snap. Chana said that Chiang Mai authorities have then sent the updated report to the Ministry of Interior's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation in Bangkok. According to the deputy governor, his province is seeking both financial and thick clothes donations from various parties to assist the local cold victims, apart from requesting for the same assistance from the central government. Meanwhile, Chiang Mai's deputy public health chief Dr. Surasingh Wisarutrat reported that there have been rising respiratory patients, caused by the cold spell, over the past week, including influenza and pneumonia. According to the provincial deputy public health chief, there have been 361 patients of H1N1 flu, also known as the 2009 influenza, 848 pneumonia patients and over 500 other illnesses relating to respiratory diseases in Chiang Mai since October 2014, most of whom are the elderly, children and those with chronic diseases living on local highlands. The provincial deputy public health chief stated that local public health officials and volunteers have, thus, been dispatched to provide knowledge to people in their respective districts and villages on how to prevent themselves from the cold-borne diseases or illnesses during the winter. (TNA)