The 21 deaths include nine in Nakhon Si Thammarat, six in Krabi, four in Surat Thani and two in Phatthalung.
In Nakhon Si Thammarat?s Nopphitam district, six bridges were destroyed by the floods and electric power poles were used as temporary stream and canal crossings. Officials carried food and medicines by helicopter to people in some villages cut off from the outside world. There was an initial report of mudslide in Sichon district Friday morning.
In Trang, a deluge from upper Nakhon Si Thammarat flowed into Trang, causing floodwaters there to rise to 3-5 metres in some districts. Roads to several popular beaches are impassable.
All 10 districts were declared disaster zones. About 32,000 houses have been flooded as flood prevention embankments along the Trang River collapsed. Two persons are missing and local authorities are trying to help people left stranded in their houses.
In Songkhla, low-lying areas near Songkhla Lake have been inundated. Local authorities installed pumps, but it is expected that it will take at least four days to drain water from flooded areas.
Chinnaworn Boonyakiat Education Minister reported 1,246 educational institutions in seven southern provinces and damages of Bt467 million are initially estimated. Rehabilitation of schools, vocational colleges and universities damaged by the floods will be done before the new semester starts May 1. Vocational colleges have set up a ?Fix It Center? to help local residents fix their damaged homes with budget from the Education Ministry.
As the low pressure covering the South weakens, so rainfall in the South will drop but residents in Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Phuket, Phangnga, Krabi, Trang and Satun while locals are being warned to stay on alert for possible further flash floods.
Wind and waves in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea have weakened but waves is about 2-3 metres. Small boats are advised to stay in port or ashore.
Meanwhile, a high-pressure ridge in the upper part of the country is weakening, so temperatures are returning to normal with higher temperatures in the soon to be summer.
However, a new high-pressure ridge from China will prevail over Thailand again over the next few days. (*)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
