Hat Yai Flood Death Toll Rises to 140, Ministry Refutes 1,000-Body Claim

BANGKOK, Dec 2 (TNA) - The official death toll from the devastating floods in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, has risen to 140, according to Dr. Sakda Alapach, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health. Speaking to the press, Dr. Sakda stated that the ministry is relying exclusively on official data compiled at the main morgue at Songklanagarind Hospital, which showed 140 deaths as of 4:00 p.m. on Monday, an increase of two from the previous day. 

He detailed that 65 people died in hospitals and 75 outside, with 36 bodies still awaiting identification. 

The official count firmly refutes widely circulated speculation, including claims by a former senior police official, that the death toll was as high as 1,000.

Dr. Sakda addressed the conflicting reports, noting that the Ministry of Public Health had initially prepared seven refrigerated containers due to the uncertain scale of the disaster, with the highest influx of bodies occurring in the first two days. 

He dismissed the reports of thousands of deaths as unlikely, asserting that nearly all residents have now returned to the affected areas.

He stressed that any further discoveries of bodies would likely be minimal and confined to currently inaccessible spots. -819 (TNA)