More aid goes to 10 flooded provinces

More aid goes to 10 flooded provinces

The HTMS Ang Thong landing platform dock ship departs the Sattahip naval base in Chon Buri province on Saturday to deliver assistance to flood victims in the South. (Royal Thai Navy photo)
The HTMS Ang Thong landing platform dock ship departs the Sattahip naval base in Chon Buri province on Saturday to deliver assistance to flood victims in the South. (Royal Thai Navy photo)

The government has mobilised more resources to help more than 700,000 flood victims in 10 southern provinces but heavy rain should start to ease on Sunday.

Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Saturday that the government had set up forward commands in Songkhla and Surat Thani provinces to help flood victims.

The government remained able to take care of victims and would announce later if it needed donations from the general public, he said.

The navy on Saturday sent its biggest landing platform dock ship, HTMS Ang Thong, from the Sattahip base in Chon Buri province to heavily flooded Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The ship stopped in Samut Prakan to take on 50 water-propelling boats and would reach its destination on Sunday.

The landing ship also had helicopters that would join the army's choppers in delivering aid to isolated flood victims. It would also function as a floating command for southern flood relief and provide medical treatment and food.

The government was evacuating victims and providing them with shelter, other necessities and medical care, Lt Gen Sansern said.

Chatchai Phromlert, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said on Saturday that floods remained in Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phatthalung, Ranong, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Trang and Yala provinces. About 744,000 people were affected.

Flood levels were rising in Chumphon, Phatthalung and Trang. They remained unchanged in Narathiwat and were declining elsewhere.

The Interior Ministry said the southern floods this year had already claimed 18  lives, with one person missing.

More than 531,000 rai of rubber plantations were damaged and about 416,000 rai were in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The Meteorological Department on Saturday predicted heavy rain in Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong and Surat Thani provinces before conditions start to ease on Sunday.

It also forecast more rain in the Central Plains, the East and the North from Monday to Friday.

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