Three killed by flash flooding in northern Thailand
Flash flooding in northern Thailand has resulted in the deaths of three individuals.
TroibNews 
Flash flooding in the popular Thai tourist destination of Chiang Mai has resulted in three fatalities, according to a health official on Sunday. Visitors were seen evacuating hotels while navigating through knee-deep muddy water, and many shops in the city center closed their doors.
Additionally, two elephants drowned in the rapidly rising floodwaters north of the city, as reported by their sanctuary on Sunday.
In central Chiang Mai, residents struggled through brown floodwaters at the night bazaar, and water seeped into the central train station, which has now shut down.
Local media indicated that numerous bedridden elderly individuals and children required food and evacuation as the Ping River reached a record high on Saturday night.
By Sunday, there was a slight decline in water levels, officials noted. Saritdet Charoenchai, a public health official, confirmed that three individuals had died, including a 44-year-old man who was electrocuted and a 33-year-old woman who perished in a mudslide. Over 80 people have sought refuge in shelters, he added, while nearly a dozen medical centers were closed due to flooding.
A local TV station captured a monk carrying a coffin through floodwaters en route to a cremation site. In the Mae Tang district, more than 100 elephants at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai province were relocated to higher ground to avoid the swiftly rising floodwaters, as stated by an employee named Dada. Unfortunately, two elephants – a 16-year-old named Fahsai and a blind 40-year-old named Ploython – were found dead on Saturday.
"My worst nightmare came true when I saw my elephants floating in the water," expressed Saengduean Chailert, the director of the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand, to local media. "I will not let this happen again; I will not make them run from such a flood again," she vowed, committing to moving them to higher ground before the next monsoon season.
Parts of northern Thailand have been severely affected by significant flooding following heavy downpours, causing the Ping River to reach critical levels, according to the district office. The northern regions of Thailand have experienced notable flooding since Typhoon Yagi impacted the area in early September, with one district reporting the most severe inundations in 80 years.
Although Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, climate change is intensifying weather patterns, increasing the likelihood of destructive floods. As of Sunday, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported that twenty of Thailand's 76 provinces are currently facing flooding.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
Additionally, two elephants drowned in the rapidly rising floodwaters north of the city, as reported by their sanctuary on Sunday.
In central Chiang Mai, residents struggled through brown floodwaters at the night bazaar, and water seeped into the central train station, which has now shut down.
Local media indicated that numerous bedridden elderly individuals and children required food and evacuation as the Ping River reached a record high on Saturday night.
By Sunday, there was a slight decline in water levels, officials noted. Saritdet Charoenchai, a public health official, confirmed that three individuals had died, including a 44-year-old man who was electrocuted and a 33-year-old woman who perished in a mudslide. Over 80 people have sought refuge in shelters, he added, while nearly a dozen medical centers were closed due to flooding.
A local TV station captured a monk carrying a coffin through floodwaters en route to a cremation site. In the Mae Tang district, more than 100 elephants at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai province were relocated to higher ground to avoid the swiftly rising floodwaters, as stated by an employee named Dada. Unfortunately, two elephants – a 16-year-old named Fahsai and a blind 40-year-old named Ploython – were found dead on Saturday.
"My worst nightmare came true when I saw my elephants floating in the water," expressed Saengduean Chailert, the director of the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand, to local media. "I will not let this happen again; I will not make them run from such a flood again," she vowed, committing to moving them to higher ground before the next monsoon season.
Parts of northern Thailand have been severely affected by significant flooding following heavy downpours, causing the Ping River to reach critical levels, according to the district office. The northern regions of Thailand have experienced notable flooding since Typhoon Yagi impacted the area in early September, with one district reporting the most severe inundations in 80 years.
Although Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, climate change is intensifying weather patterns, increasing the likelihood of destructive floods. As of Sunday, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported that twenty of Thailand's 76 provinces are currently facing flooding.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
