Sukhumvit highway impassable in Trat, Koh Chang flood drains

Sukhumvit highway impassable in Trat, Koh Chang flood drains

Volunteers secure a rope as a hand-hold for tourists to walk across Khlong Plu canal on a temporary footbridge of power poles, on Koh Chang island in Trat province on Monday. The vehicle bridge was washed out by flooding caused by torrential rain. (Photo by Jakkrit Waewkraihong)
Volunteers secure a rope as a hand-hold for tourists to walk across Khlong Plu canal on a temporary footbridge of power poles, on Koh Chang island in Trat province on Monday. The vehicle bridge was washed out by flooding caused by torrential rain. (Photo by Jakkrit Waewkraihong)

TRAT: Flooding caused by heavy rain has drained off Koh Chang but continued to disrupt life in Muang district, where a section of Sukhumvit Highway was still impassable, on Monday.

Wanroong Kanonkul, kamnan of tambon Koh Chang, said it did not rain on Sunday night and the runoff stopped, but not before considerable damage was done to homes and hotels on the resort island.

The Khlong Plu bridge was torn down and its repair would take a long time.  Electricity authority workmen had used spare power poles to make a temporary footbridge across Khlong Plu canal, so tourists could walk back to their vehicles and return to Bangkok, he said.

On the mainland, Muang district remained flood-hit.

Trat highway chief Somdet Sophondirekrat said torrential rain generated runoff from the Banthat ranges, causing flooding nearly one metre deep along several hundred metres of the Sukhumvit Highway in Ban Nongree of tambon Chamrak.

The highway was impassable to all vehicles at that point, with no sign of the runoff easing, he said.

Huai Raeng reservoir in Muang district was overflowing into many villages in tambons Tha Kum and Huai Raeng.

Elsewhere, flooding persisted in the four northeastern provinces of Roi Et, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani and Yasothon, Chayaphol Thitisak, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said. About 22,900 people were evacuated in Roi Et, Ubon Ratchathani and Yasothon.

The Meteorological Department forecast is for the rain to ease off in the North and the upper Northeast through into Tuesday.

Heavy rain is expected to continue in the East and the upper South. Small boats should remain ashore in the upper part of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

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