Continuous rainfall since Monday night has caused flash floods

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Sorry for the quality of infos, it is from North Tha?land, LIVE

Continuous rainfall since Monday night has caused flash floods and rivers to overflow inundating residential homes in many northern and southern provinces.

In Chiang Mai's Mae Chaem district, floodwaters poured into the Mae Chaem River causing it to overflow and inundate 240 homes under 60-centimetres of water yesterday, said deputy district chief Boonkeua Kunatharakul.

Expecting more floodwater later yesterday local authorities were hurrying to prepare residents for evacuation, he said.

In Lampang, floodwaters from Phrae's Wiang Ko Sai National Park caused the Mae Pong and Mae Pa streams to rise and submerge 1,500 homes in Tambon Mae Pa, Thoen district, under a metre of water at 4am yesterday.

Village headmen quickly sounded the alarm via the community radio system and roused the sleeping neighbourhood to move their belongings above the water in time.

In Phitsanulok, continuous downpours throughout yesterday morning submerged Muang district's major roads, while students living in dormitories behind Naresuan University were unable to reach their classes as the area was covered by a metre of water.

Ten schools in Bang Rakam district were closed indefinitely.In the southern province of Surat Thani, forest run-offs deluged Ban Klong Neu in Wiang Sa district late on Monday night, destroying six homes and partially damaging 30, while some 200 villagers fled for their lives to higher ground.

Should be available via the Nation

 

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Re: Continuous rainfall since Monday night has caused flash floods

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Leptospirosis kills 31 in past eight months

Deputy Public Health Minister Anuthin Chanweerakul yesterday warned flood-affected villagers of leptospirosis, after 1,400 cases were found in the past eight months resulting in 31 people dying.

Anuthin insisted the disease could be prevented if people refrained from wading through floodwater and muddy ground with bare feet as leptospirosis enters the body via wounds and scratches. He urged flood-affected people to wear plastic boots and said the ministry had prepared medication and supplies for the timely treatment of leptospirosis patients.

Director-general of the Disease Control Department, Dr Thawat Sunthrajarn, said 60 people in Nan province had contracted leptospirosis - 44 were now hospitalised and six had died. Since the diagnosis took some time to confirm, people with leptospirosis symptoms would immediately be given antibiotics. Most people were cured if they sought medical attention early enough, he said.

The disease caused by the leptospira bacteria usually occurred during the rainy season from August to November and most cases were found in the Northeast and northern regions, Thawat said. <br /><br />The disease, which has an incubation period of five to 14 days, has symptoms including fever, muscle pains, headaches, vomiting, jaundice and multiple small haemorrhages in the skin.

The leptospirosis scare had spread among Nan residents, prompting villagers to wear boots whenever they went out, while some demanded vaccinations for all family members. Chin Nantachai, a village headman in Tha Wang Pha district, urged the government to send more plastic boots to villagers.

In Phitsanulok, where many areas were flooded and some were suffering from stagnant water, residents were warned of leptospirosis following the discovery of 10 cases in Phrom Phiram, Bang Rakam, Bang Krathum and Muang districts. In Kalasin there were 100 leptospirosis patients but no deaths had been reported, said public health official Dr Somyos Srijaranai.