One person is dead and one is missing after flash floods caused by intense rains in northern Thailand’s Lampang province, according to reports from local authorities on Monday.
Following deluges of rain in the Doi Khun Tan National Park region, the floods, which started at midnight, raced over a number of communities in the Hang Chat district. In several places, the water level rose to almost 1.5 meters, damaging homes and causing people to flee.
The fast flowing waters in Ban Huai Rian village caused damage to around forty homes. A 48-year-old lady vanished amid the floodwaters, her husband claimed to have last seen her running from their one-story home near the Mae Tan stream.
Her body was discovered in a nearby community. Authorities reported three injuries, all of whom were hospitalised.
Lampang Rail-line Destroyed
In two places close to the Khun Tan railway tunnel, the floods also resulted in landslides, which prompted the State Railway of Thailand to halt operations between the provinces of Lampang and Chiang Mai.
The railway authorities declared that until further notice, bus services will take the place of trains.
By mid-morning, the floodwaters in Lampang started to decrease, but authorities issued a warning about possible more flooding in communities downstream as rain continue to fall.
Flash floods and landslides have affected several parts of the province, flooding many villages and obstructing a major road that connects the province to Chiang Mai,
Meanwhile, the flood situation in Chiang Rai is still quite serious. The Lao River overflowed in the district on Monday due to heavy rains, impacting approximately thirty houses in the sub-districts of Pa Ngew, Ban Pong, and Wiang.
In Ban Pa Ngew village in Tambon Pa Ngew, water from mountain runoff flooded a portion of the Chiang Rai – Chiang Mai highway.
Puttipong Sirimat, the governor of Chiang Rai, reported that he had met with local organisations to discuss the province’s flood recovery efforts, which included a “big clean-up” expedition.
He stated that the government and volunteers had been working to clean up the damaged public spaces and private homes, particularly those that belonged to vulnerable populations like the elderly and the crippled.
Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
