Thai death toll in flood reaches 283, 2 missing

A total of 283 people were confirmed dead and two others were missing in the floods that have inundated the upper part of the country for almost three months, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Thursday. Two more people were confirmed dead on Wednesday in central province in Chachoengsao, an adjacent province in the eastern of the capital. Northern province of Phichit still has the highest death toll of 41 people, following by central province of Nakhon Sawan, of which 30 people were dead in flood. Flash floods and mudslide were caused by the heavy monsoon since mid July. Floods still prevail in 61 of 77 provinces, effecting about 2.5 million households and 8.3 million people. Of 61 provinces hit by flood, the situation in 35 provinces, mostly in the northern and northeastern provinces, have slowly been recovering, the report said, adding that the flood situation in central provinces, especially in central provinces of Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya and Prathumthaini have been worsen. As the flood situation in Prathumthani, an adjacent province in the north of Bangkok, have been worsen, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration have issued warning for people living in the eastern and western Bangkok to prepare for possible flooding. About 50 main highways in many provinces are flooded and cannot be passed and some north-bound train routes were canceled. Meanwhile, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department on Thursday morning issued a warning for people in four southern provinces to brace for flash floods and landslides during the next few days. People living near hillsides and waterways in southern provinces of Krabi, Phuket and Ranong should prepare for flash flooding and possible landslides Thursday and the next few days, it warned.