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By APD writer Chen Jiabao
**BANGKOK, Dec.5 (APD) -- **Massive floods have claimed 15 lives and affected more than 299,00 people in Thailand's southern provinces, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department announced on Tuesday.
Chayapol Thitisak, director general of the department, said that the monsoon rains started from Nov.25 to Dec.4 have drowned 15 and hit 96,0126 families in 10 provinces in the south.
He said floodwaters in Krabi province had receded but 4,590 villages in other nine provinces were still under water.
According to the local media, some villages have been cut off from the outside world with floodwaters rising to three to four meters. Many communities in low-lying areas had been flooded, with houses nearly submerged after a river embankment collapsed on Dec.3.
The severe floods also forced schools to close in 11 provinces.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut has ordered Ministry of Interior to direct all affected provinces to start exploring on people’s plights and rush in tackling immediate problems to urgently alleviate the situation.
Provincial disaster prevention and mitigation units have rushed in providing the public with disaster-relief machineries, tents, drinking-water mobile units, mobile electrical generators, mobile toilets, and boats.
Heavy rains will continue across the region, with temperature dropping about two degree celsius. New round of flash floods may be triggered from fierce winds and rough sea from the gulf of Thailand, according to the department.
Thailand has been swamped by floods this year. Floods during July to August have killed more than 20 people in the country's northeast.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
