BANGKOK — Relentless heavy rains have triggered catastrophic flooding across Thailand, claiming the lives of four people in the capital and bringing the national death toll to 23 since mid-September, government officials announced Tuesday.
In Bangkok alone, the crisis has impacted nearly 700,000 residents. The unprecedented deluge prompted city authorities to declare a city-wide disaster following 48 hours of continuous downpours. As floodwaters continue to submerge parts of the city, nearly 7,000 displaced individuals have sought refuge in over 230 emergency shelters, while schools have remained shuttered for a second consecutive day.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported that the severe weather has battered 29 of Thailand’s 77 provinces. Beyond the four fatalities in Bangkok, the highest number of casualties was recorded in Samut Prakan, a coastal province south of the capital, where eight people died. Six others were killed in the eastern province of Sa Kaeo, and five additional fatalities were reported across Chanthaburi, Ayutthaya, and Saraburi.
The infrastructure of Bangkok, which was originally built on marshlands and is interwoven with a complex network of canals, has been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of rainfall. Although city pumping stations have been operating at maximum capacity for days, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt warned that it could take “up to a week” for the floodwaters to fully recede.
While September traditionally marks the peak of Thailand’s annual rainy season, many local residents note that this year’s flooding is significantly more severe than in recent memory. The escalating crisis arrives amid broader warnings from scientists that extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense as global warming accelerates due to fossil fuel emissions.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen