BANGKOK, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Thailand has declared a disaster zone in Nan and put two other northern provinces on alert as heavy rain and flash flooding cut off roads and forced evacuations, the government said on Wednesday.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul continued to monitor the situation from Australia, where he is on an official visit, and ordered all agencies, including the armed forces, to join relief efforts, said government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek.
Anutin has instructed that response teams and heavy machinery be deployed to high-risk areas to respond as soon as an incident occurs, with a focus on draining water from areas that flood frequently, Rachada said.
She said the prime minister emphasized that lives and safety must come first, particularly for the elderly, bedridden patients, children, and people in high-risk areas, calling for a rapid survey of affected areas and close monitoring of rainfall and water levels to allow warnings if volumes rise.
Authorities warned residents across northern, northeastern, and central Thailand to watch for flash floods, runoff, and landslides through Friday.
Separately on Wednesday, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Yodchanan Wongsawat, who oversees flood response in the north, issued an urgent directive to the governors of Nan, Phayao, and Lamphun provinces to make comprehensive flood preparations.
The order follows a Meteorological Department outlook for August forecasting thunderstorms, locally heavy rain, and strong winds that could trigger flash floods, runoff, and rivers bursting their banks. ■
