Thai soldiers join rescue work in flood hit area. (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Flash floods have claimed at least nine lives insouthern Thailand and affected half a million people, local authorities said onDecember 3.
The deaths all came in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, where a state of emergencyhas been declared. The youngest victim was just five years old.
Scores of houses have been damaged and more than halfa million people from 210,000 households are affected.
Almost 150,000 hectares of farmland are under water.
Nakhon SiThammarat governor Kraisorn Visitwong said this was the worst floods in thelocality in 50 years.
"We've hadfloods in certain parts of our province every year, but never this volume andthe currents never this strong. We can't even use our boats," he said.
The main airportremains open to flights but is surrounded by water. Military vehicles areferrying passengers to the terminal.
Six otherprovinces, namely Narathiwat, Songkhla, Pattani, Surat Thani, Chumphon and Phatthalung,are also experiencing flooding.
Heavy rain begana week earlier and is expected to continue over the coming days as a strongmonsoon sits over the Gulf of Thailand and a low-pressure system in the Straitof Malacca./.
The Thai government is planning to spend 100 billion baht (over 3.2 billion USD) to develop a 240km canal running from Chai Nat province to the Gulf of Thailand to prevent flooding in the country’s central region.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen confirmed on October 22 morning that severe flooding has claimed 36 lives, with Banteay Meanchey province being hardest hit with 19 fatalities.
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Thai soldiers join rescue work in flood hit area. (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
