Flash flood hits Thai North

UTTARADIT, THAILAND, May 26 (TNA) - Flash flood hit villagers’ houses in four communities in Nam Pat district here early Saturday after a heavy rain on Friday night, damaging about 100 houses, officials said. The officials said villagers had to carry their valuable effects to higher ground after water runoff from Huai Soi mountain inundated their houses. Floodwater in some low lying areas was measured at higher than 50 centimetres while villagers had to place sandbags in front of their houses to prevent flood from entering their premises. A road now under construction in a village was damaged due to strong current and drivers are warned to use another nearby road. Surachai Tatchakawin, provincial officer of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, led his officials to inspect damages and warned the people to be on alert of a new round of flash flood as rain is expected to continue until Sunday. The Meteorological Department has forecast that torrential rain is expected in the North, Northeast, East and the West coast of the Gulf of Thailand on Saturday due to active monsoon over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf. (TNA)