The death toll from floods in southern Thailand has reached at least 145 people, officials said on Friday, as the water began to recede and the devastating consequences across the region became visible, UNN reports with reference to AP.
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More than 1.2 million households and 3.6 million people have been affected by floods caused by heavy rains in 12 southern provinces, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said on Friday.
Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat told a press conference in Bangkok that the floods claimed the lives of 145 people in eight provinces, including Songkhla province, where at least 110 deaths were recorded.
He said search and rescue efforts have become more successful as the floodwaters continued to recede.
Songkhla province has seen a sharp increase in the death toll after the floods began to subside. News reports showed that rescuers gained more access to residential areas previously submerged under high water and recovered more bodies, especially in Hat Yai, the largest city in the south.
On Friday morning, the disaster department reported that water had receded in most affected areas, but water levels remained high in some places. The Meteorological Department said rainfall in the south had decreased but warned of thunderstorms in some areas.
The floods caused severe disruptions, leaving thousands of people stranded, making streets impassable and submerging low-rise buildings and vehicles.
Videos and photos from the affected areas, published on Friday, show damaged roads, downed power poles, household appliances and debris washed away by floodwaters piled up along the streets. Abandoned cars were overturned or stacked one on top of another, apparently carried away by powerful currents.