NAHKON SAWAN, Oct 11 – Flooding increased in Nakhon Sawan in the past 24 hours after the flood embankment along the Chao Phraya River was breached on Monday night, prompting the provincial hospital to evacuate patients.
Nakhon Sawan mayor Chittakasem Nirotethanarat led military engineers to plug the ruptures in the broken flood prevention wall along the river near the Bonkai market.
More than 40 trucks carried crushed rock to repair the wall before flooding hit many government offices on the opposite side.
The provincial hospital is evacuating patients while residents in the municipality are using boats to carry their belongings out of their homes. The water level is still rising and roads are impassable.
Meanwhile, Boonin Chuenchavalit, director of the Bhumibol Dam in Tak, said the water level in the dam has decreased and the water stored in reservoir dropped to 83 million cubic metres. If there is no more rain in the next 4-5 days, the water volume in the dam will return to normal and flooding in downstream areas in Tak and Kamphaeng Phet and the Chao Phraya River basin will also decrease. The dam is releasing about 100 million cubic metres per day.
In Ayutthaya, HRH Princess Sirindhorn on Tuesday granted sets of relief supplies for flood victims at a rice mill of the Chaipattana Foundation in Lat Bua Luang district and at the foundation’s temporary shelter for flood vicitms at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University’s Wang Noi campus.
Mobile catering and medical units have been set up at both locations to help people affected by the flood crisis.
The princess also instructed the royally-supported foundation to work with the private sector to distribute necessities to flood victims in the area.
Meanwhile, in the capital, the national flood relief centre based at Don Mueang Airport is working to contain the flood situation.
Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Tuesday visited the centre and met Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra after visiting flood victims at a temporary shelter in Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus.
Mr Abhisit expressed his concern about finding more temporary shelters as many shelters are likely to be fully occupied. He proposed the cargo building at Don Mueang Airport to be reserved as another temporary shelter.
The opposition party leader said the Bangkok governor, while a member of the opposition Democrat party, is ready to cooperate with the Pheu Thai party-led government.
Ms Yingluck affirmed the government welcomes advice from all parties.
