Flash flood alert after heavy rain
By Theerawat Khamthita & Thai News Agency
Two low-magnitude earthquakes rocked Wiang Pa Pao district which houses the ancient city of Wiang Kalong yesterday, putting officials on alert for further tremors in the area. There were no reports of damage to the ancient city, believed to be built more than 2,000 years ago. However, officials at the Meteorological Department have been told to keep a close eye on the Mae Tha fault line, which goes under Wiang Pa Pao and triggered the quakes yesterday, officials said.
The first quake was measured at 2.6 and the other was 3 on the Richter scale. They were centred in a forestry area about 70 kilometres from Muang Chiang Rai district.
The department has also issued a flash flood warning for northern provinces and added that large amounts of water would run down mountains, triggered by the southwestern monsoon which is causing rainfall countrywide.
The seasonal monsoon, which starts in Thailand between May and October, has now developed into a moderate level of intensity, and villagers should be careful, especially in areas already soaked by rain, the department warned.
''People in Chiang Rai and Nan should be on guard because they have been hit by more rainfall than other areas,'' said meteorologist Worapot Kunawiwatanangkul.
Most worrying is the Phaya Mengrai district in Chiang Rai. The area has recently been hit by very heavy rain.
People living near risk spots in Lampang, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Nong Khai, Udon Thani and Sakon Nakhon provinces have also been warned to brace for flash floods.
In the northeastern province of Kalasin, officials are worried about seven districts near the Phu Phan mountain range. In the past, water runoff from the range ravaged houses and farmland over a wide area.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, strong thunderstorms damaged more than 10 electricity poles on the Mittraphap road in Muang district, causing a blackout in the CS industrial estate and flooding many sections of the road.
Electricity officials said repairs would take 3-4 days. The damage is estimated at five million baht.
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