Flooding in Thai East to ease within 10 days

BANGKOK, October 8 (TNA) - Flooding situation in eastern provinces should improve within the next few days, while the situation should return to normal within the next 10 days, said Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi on Tuesday. Speaking in his capacity as the chairperson of Water and Flood Management Commission, Plodprasop said while flooding in Central provinces have gradually receded, the situation in eastern provinces including Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo and Chachoengsao should soon improve and return to normal within 10 days. Plodprasop said heavy rainfalls occurred in areas where there are no dams or dykes this year, causing severe flooding in several provinces, including in Prachin Buri which borders Cambodia, where local people described the situation as ‘the worst in the past century’. Meanwhile, Chatchai Phromlert, director-general of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said 38 provinces nationwide have been affected by floods since September 17. Chatchai said the floods have killed a total of 36 people, affected 938,435 families and damaged 15,610 houses and about 3.15 million rai of farmland. To date, floods remain in 28 provinces while the situation in 10 provinces have improved, he added. (TNA)