Heavy Downpours Devastate Northeastern Thailand

UBON RATCHATHANI, August 3 (TNA) - Several northeastern provinces in Thailand are now encountering flash floods, affecting tens of thousands of people while the Meteorological Department has issued a warning that heavy rains would continue in the region as well as in the eastern part bordering Cambodia. In Ubon Ratchathani province bordering Laos, flood has inundated thousands of rai (2.5 rai = 1 acre) of rice fields for the past three days while three villages in Don Mod Daeng district are completely under floodwaters. Roads leading to the villages are covered with floodwaters for more than two kilometres and bridges are damaged. Provincial officials are now considering to declare two more districts disaster zones after announcing 17 districts disaster zones recently. Officials said so far more than 27,000 households in Ubon Ratchathani have already been affected by the flooding. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation authorities in Amnat Charoen province, meanwhile, provided assistance to flood victims. More than 50 houses in the provincial seat have been damaged while many roads are under water as high as 50 centimetres, making them impassable for small vehicles. About 50 houses in Yasothon province are affected by the severe flood after floodwater overflowed a canal in Pa Tiu district. Soldiers have to help the affected villagers in moving valuable effects to higher ground. Several canals in Nakhon Phanom province bordering Laos are now overflowed and water cannot flow into the Mekong River. Thousands of rai of paddy field are completely inundated. But fishermen are happy as they could catch more fishes in the river. The Meteorological Department has warned that heavy downpours would continue in the Northeast and also urged people in the eastern provinces of Chanthaburi and Trat bordering Cambodia to be prepared for flash floods. (TNA)