Wednesday 19 October 2011

Urgent flood evacuations

Urgent flood evacuations
The Royal Irrigation Department has warned people living outside Bangkok's northern floodwalls, along King Kaew and Rom Klao roads, to move their belongings to higher ground as those areas are expected to be flooded.
Photos by Thiti Wannamontha
Rom Klao is in Lat Krabang district and King Kaew in neighbouring Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan, near Suvarnabhumi airport.

The department said on Tuesday that floodwaters in those areas were expected to be 50 to 80 centimetres high and residents should move their belongings to safer places or build embankments of sandbags in front of their houses to a height of at least one to 1.5 metres.

In Bangkok's Thawi Wattana district, the water level in Khlong Mahasawat reached 1.9 metres today, still below its 2.5 metre flood embankment, district officials said.

Meanwhile, the Expressway Authority of Thailand said sections of the Pakkret-Bang Pa-in expressway had been closed as surging floodwater began flowing onto the road.

"At present, the Chiang Rak and Bang Pa-in expressway section is are closed because of the flooding. Motorists can exit only at Bang Phun section," an expressway officer said.
In Nonthaburi, a water gate in Bang Bua Thong district collapsed this afternoon, allowing a large amount of water to flow into nearby communities.

Reports said the Phraya Banlue water gate collapsed about 3 pm, releasing a deluge which surged into the Bang Bua Thong fresh market and many houses in the area.

Nonthaburi's Pakkret district chief Wisit Puangphet said residents in three communities - tambon Khlong Phra Udom, tambon Bang Tanai and tambon Khlong Khoi - were asked to immediately move their belongings to higher ground as floodwaters in their  communities rose sharply.
The three communities were flooded after a huge volume of water from Pathum Thani province early today destroyed several embankments of sandbags built by the district to block the overflow from the Chao Phraya River, said Mr Wisit.

The district has asked the army to send boats to evacuate flood-hit residents. Floodwaters in the three communities rose to three metres, said the district chief. Two shelters have been set up to accommodate flood victims. 
 
Local leaders and residents at tambon Bang Plab raced against time to reinforce embankments in their community, said Mr Wisit. Tambon Bang Plab is the only community in the district that has not yet been hit by flooding, he added.

In Pathum Thani's Khlong Luang district, the water level of Rapipat canal continues to rise and the water has poured through a damaged flood wall.
Authorities and volunteers were attempting to repair the flood wall quickly, as main roads could be cut off if more water entered the area.

The water level in Khlong Rangsit 4 in Khlong Luang was also reported to be nearly critical, prompting district authorities to seek help from the army to increase the sandbag wall to the height of the canal's two metre earth dyke.

In Nakhon Pathom's Buddhamonthon district, people have been advised to leave their homes within 24 hours because the floodwater in the area is expected to rise by another metre.

The Buddhamonthon district chief ordered village chiefs and administrative officials to inform people in their areas to move their belongings to higher ground and urgently build flood barriers around their homes.

The district chief said people who could not protect their homes can take refuge at a temporary shelter, which had been prepared.

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