Flood warnings issued in several Thai areas

BANGKOK, September 17 (TNA) - The Meteorological Department has issued a latest flood warning for several Thai areas, following continual and heavy downpours over the past several days, which have already inundated many low-lying communities. The weather agency also predicted on Monday that there should be more heavy downpours in Yasothon, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani provinces in the Thai Northeast, where the Mekong River has kept rising and flowing forcefully, especially in Ubon Ratchathani's Khong Chiam district. In Phetchabun province in the Lower Thai North, overflowing Pa Sak River flooded 20 villages in Lom Sak district and thousands of rai of farmlands, as well as many roads on Monday. In Uthai Thani province, also in the Lower Thai North, Uthaithani Polytechnic College have installed mobile toilets in Nong Kae locality of Mueang district to help local people whose villages have been inundated for days although flood levels there were stable on Monday, while local paddy fields, covering nearly 2,000 rai or 3.2 square kilometers, were also flooded. In Chantaburi province in the Thai East, officials hurriedly drained an irrigation canal under construction to protect an economic area from flooding, but it subsequently caused a local school and nearby communities to be one meter under water. The school was, thus, closed on Monday and people living near the Chantaburi River were warned of possible flashfloods and run-offs. (TNA)