ID :
172423
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 11:20
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http://m.oananews.org//node/172423
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Military speeds up help for flood victims in Thai South
SURAT THANI, April 1 (TNA) - The Thai military has been mobilizing its forces and equipment to assist flood victims in Thailand's southern region.
Thai Army Chief General Pra-yuth Chan-ocha said on Friday that he has ordered the 4th Army Area Command to coordinate help for flood victims with other agencies concerned and to clear drainage ways and to repair damaged roads.
Reports said, however, that deep inundations and the lack of visibility have blocked agencies concerned from accessing flooded areas. Besides, some people are not willing to leave their houses for concerns over their belongings; so, local authorities are convincing the flood-affected people to prioritize their own safety; while officials are taking turns to look after their neighborhoods.
Rescue teams, on the other hand, have also been using boats and aircraft to reach some flooded areas and the Thai military is deploying all its aircraft to relentlessly help the flood victims.
Lieutenant General Wichien Sirisunthorn, Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces Development Command, said that his agency has deployed soldiers and 10 flat boats to assist people in Surat Thani Province, particularly those being cut off from the outside world due to damaged roads, ensuring that his agency has enough personnel to help the flood victims, including repairing roads and dredging canals to facilitate drainage in their areas.
Meanwhile, floods in many southern areas have not been relieved. In Trang Province, 10 districts have remained under water and flood levels have kept rising, to 1-2 meters deep in some areas, as more water has been flowing in from nearby Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Many roads have been cut off and over 10 square kilometers of farmland have been damaged.
In Songkhla Province, local houses and farmlands have remained inundated, especially those adjacent to the Songkhla Lake. Local officials have used water pumps to speed up drainage into the lake and close water gates to block high tides from the sea. The drainage of flooding water is expected to take some four days. (TNA)
Thai Army Chief General Pra-yuth Chan-ocha said on Friday that he has ordered the 4th Army Area Command to coordinate help for flood victims with other agencies concerned and to clear drainage ways and to repair damaged roads.
Reports said, however, that deep inundations and the lack of visibility have blocked agencies concerned from accessing flooded areas. Besides, some people are not willing to leave their houses for concerns over their belongings; so, local authorities are convincing the flood-affected people to prioritize their own safety; while officials are taking turns to look after their neighborhoods.
Rescue teams, on the other hand, have also been using boats and aircraft to reach some flooded areas and the Thai military is deploying all its aircraft to relentlessly help the flood victims.
Lieutenant General Wichien Sirisunthorn, Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces Development Command, said that his agency has deployed soldiers and 10 flat boats to assist people in Surat Thani Province, particularly those being cut off from the outside world due to damaged roads, ensuring that his agency has enough personnel to help the flood victims, including repairing roads and dredging canals to facilitate drainage in their areas.
Meanwhile, floods in many southern areas have not been relieved. In Trang Province, 10 districts have remained under water and flood levels have kept rising, to 1-2 meters deep in some areas, as more water has been flowing in from nearby Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Many roads have been cut off and over 10 square kilometers of farmland have been damaged.
In Songkhla Province, local houses and farmlands have remained inundated, especially those adjacent to the Songkhla Lake. Local officials have used water pumps to speed up drainage into the lake and close water gates to block high tides from the sea. The drainage of flooding water is expected to take some four days. (TNA)
