PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN - Flooding forced Bang Saphan Hospital to evacuate more than 100 patients to other hospitals on Wednesday after three reservoirs overflowed and inundated the city's downtown area on Tuesday evening.
Runoff from the Tanao Sri mountain range flowed into Khlong Loy, Wang Nam Khiew and Muang Samsib reservoirs, causing them to overflow into Bang Saphan district.
Although the water had begun receding in some areas, Bang Saphan Hospital remained flooded on Wednesday. Inner areas of the hospital, which were raised one metre above ground to avoid flooding, were also inundated. Adding to the problem, the hospital’s large water pumps were not in working order.
The hospital on Wednesday began evacuating more than 100 patients to Prachuap Khiri Khan Hospital and nearby hospitals, Thai media reported.
Capt Sorawit Surakul, commander of Wing 5, deployd a company of air force personnel to build a sandbag wall around Bang Saphan Hospital, while the disaster prevention and mitigation office zone 4 sent a truck-mounted pump to help drain water from the flooded premises.
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said the flooding in the southern region was not caused by forest encroachment. With rainfall as high as 900 millimetres a day, it took longer than normal to drain off floodwater, Gen Anupong said.
Five southern provinces were still flooded. If there was no more rain, like in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the situation should return to normal in 2-3 days, he said.
The minister said the budget set aside to help flood victims was sufficient. The military, the Royal Irrigation Department and the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office were also helping people. He was speaking after returning to Bangkok from a trip to Nakhon Si Thammarat to see the flooding first hand.