Bangkok flood ‘disaster’: Heavy rain causes havoc; Homes, shops and roads are waterlogged

BANGKOK has declared a state of disaster amid heavy floods. Across the Thai capital, almost 48 hours of heavy rain caused havoc. Homes, shops and roads are waterlogged. Many residents are wading through deep water, AFP reported.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cut short a trip to London and returned home to handle the crisis. Almost 300mm of rain fell. It happened between Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning.

AFP reported about one vendor, Somkid Pheuk-ngam. She described the water reaching her waist. Somkid lives near a canal in north Bangkok. She has kept her shop closed for two days. Another resident, Anutin Meechamnan, said he had never seen such continuous rain before.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has declared it a state of disaster. This covers all 50 city districts. It gives local bodies special emergency powers.

According to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, the situation has stabilised. He added that things would improve if the rain stopped. Draining the floodwater may take two to three days.

Bangkok’s canal network is completely full now. Murky water has entered homes and shops everywhere. Chadchart said officials were working with nearby provinces. They are trying to drain water away from Bangkok.

Bangkok was once called the "Venice of the East". It sits on former marshland near sea level. Pumping stations are working at full capacity now. They are removing 1,200 cubic metres of water per second, according to AFP.

Residents were seen wading through flooded eastern districts. Some pushed motorcycles through the rising water. Parked cars were partially submerged on major roads. In Bang Bua district, one woman tried saving shop goods.

Office worker Khem Amnueilaph told AFP that his area had knee-high water. His house is elevated, so it stayed safe. But nearby older houses have already flooded badly. He has food stocked for two to three days. He worries about reaching work on Monday.

Some convenience stores ran out of stock by noon. Residents rushed to buy essential supplies quickly. Chadchart said 13 major roads were currently flooded. He urged people not to panic about food shortages.

Around 980 people are staying in temporary shelters. Authorities moved 36 bedridden patients to hospitals. The city has also prepared one million sandbags for emergencies.

Heavy rainfall in September

September has brought unusually heavy rainfall this year. Bangkok recorded 487 mm until 25 September. This is much higher than the usual average. The typical average for this period is 269 mm.

Scientists warn that such extreme weather will become more frequent. Rising global temperatures from fossil fuels are the cause. Flooding was also reported across 21 Thai provinces. One death has been confirmed from this flooding. More rain is expected to continue into Sunday.

Thailand faced worse flooding in 2011. Those floods killed more than 500 people. They also damaged millions of homes nationwide.

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