BANGKOK, Sept 22 Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, in her dual role as defence minister, has ordered military personnel to help residents in 15 flood-hit provinces, according to Col Thanathip Sawangsaeng, defence ministry spokesman.
Col Thanathip said on Sunday that the premier instructed relevant soldiers to coordinate and work closely with provincial disaster prevention and mitigation offices in 15 affected provinces in order to provide assistance and relief to flood victims efficiently.
The relief centre under the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters have dispatched soldiers, equipment and flat-bottomed boats to help residents evacuate their belongings to higher ground, facilitate travel of flood-stricken people, repair damaged bridges, as well as clear lanes which were blocked by landslides.
From September 16 through 22, the ministry’s relief centre has sent 1,500 soldiers, 35 trucks, five excavators and 29 flat-bottomed boats to assist flood-hit people.
Meanwhile, army personnel have also built a sandbag wall, cleared ways which were earlier blocked by landslides, provided assistance in setting up evacuation centres and constructed a flood wall at Wat Chai Wattanaram Temple to protect the World Heritage Site from flooding.
In a related development, Ayutthaya disaster prevention and mitigation chief Udomsak Khaonoona said today that, so far, eight districts of this central provinces have been inundated.
The flooded districts are Bang Ban, Sena, Phak Hai, Bang Sai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya provincial seat, Bang Pa-in, Tha Ruea and Nakhon Luang.
The inundation has hit 80 subdistricts and affected some 12,000 households and seven temples.
Meanwhile, Bang Pahan and Maha Rat districts are also likely to be affected by the flood, Mr Udomsak said, adding that a survey on damages is underway.
