Trains in flood-hit Thai South resume services

SOUTHERN REGION, THAILAND, December 8 (TNA) - Trains on southern Thai routes resume their services after a temporary halt due to recent inundations, while the Ministry of Transport has conducted surveys on damages caused by the latest southern floods. Thai Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told journalists of the updates, saying that the southern trains were set to resume their services as of December 8. Arkhom said initial surveys found that damages from the latest southern floods over the past days have exceeded 500 million baht, including those on 13 highways in six provinces, over 400 roads in eight provinces and some sections of railways. According to the minister, the Department Highways is responsible for main highways, while the Department of Rural Roads is responsible for upcountry roads. Pisak Jitviriyavasin, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Rural Roads, told reporters that he has instructed local units to closely follow up the updated flooding situation in order to take immediate action to repair the damaged roads, while arranging alternative routes for motorists and commuters in areas where repairs cannot be immediately conducted. Besides, concerned units under his department have been ordered to work together with other relevant parties in their areas in an integrated manner to provide assistance to people affected by all damaged routes, namely building temporary passages for them pending a full repair work after the current flooding situation returns to normal. Meanwhile, floods have been receding in several southern Thai areas, while some others have remained heavily inundated. In Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, for instance, traffic has returned to normal in a business area of the provincial seat, which had been under floodwater over the past few days, but low-lying areas have remained submerged and it is expected to take about one week to pump water out of the flooded areas. Similarly in Trang Province, although floods in several areas have eased, low-lying areas have remained under floodwater. Two parts of flood embankment at the Trang River have, in the meantime, collapsed as soil failed to endured massive influx of water, worsening the flooding in two affected sub-districts, where floodwater had rapidly flowed to submerge up to a thousand of households, forcing local people to have moved their belongings to higher grounds. Besides, areas in the Trang Municiapality have remained under two meters of floodwater and local officials have used large water pumps to drain the floodwater into the Trang River. However, the flooding situation in Trang’s eight districts has eased, except riverfronts where inundations have remained about one to three meters and a portion of railway track was under 10-50 centimeters of floodwater on December 7. (TNA)