At least 33 dead as rain, floods batter Thailand; emergency declared

Facing one of the worst floods in decades, Thai authorities airlifted patients and delivered critical supplies to flood-hit region, including oxygen tanks. At Hat Yai Hospital, conditions have become especially dire, Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said Wednesday. He warned that power to the facility could be cut due to the high water levels. Around 50 patients on ventilators were evacuated by army helicopters, and an additional 600 patients, along with hospital staffers, may also need to be relocated, he added.

Emergency declared in Songkhla

Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said Wednesday that floods across 12 southern provinces have affected about 1 million households and more than 2.7 million people, following days of heavy rainfall.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared a state of emergency on Tuesday for Songkhla province, which includes Hat Yai, citing the “unprecedented severity” of the flooding and the extensive damage across the region.

Hat Yai, the commercial hub of southern Thailand, was worst hit. Hospitals in the region were flooded and thousands of residents were stranded on rooftops. Last Friday (November 21), the city recorded 335 mm of rainfall, its highest single-day total in 300 years, according to Reuters.

In Hat Yai, floodwaters rose to 2.5 metres (8.2 feet), inundating homes and sweeping through major roads. Images from the city show neighborhoods underwater, houses submerged to their windows, and emergency teams navigating the streets in boats to rescue residents and deliver aid.

(With inputs from agencies.)