Four dead in Thailand as flooding from typhoon Yagi hits northern region

BANGKOK: Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains from Typhoon Yagi have claimed four lives in northern Thailand and inundated thousands of homes, the government said on Wednesday (Sept 11), as it mobilised the army to help affected families.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said aid is on the way to around 9,000 families hit by the floods in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

Confirming the first Yagi-linked deaths in the kingdom, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said two people were killed in a landslide in Chiang Mai province, and two more in Chiang Rai, which borders Myanmar.

The health ministry said they have deployed medical staff, volunteers and rescue workers to migrate elder people to safer places.

The Thai meteorological department also warned that more heavy rains were expected until next Tuesday, bringing the risk of fresh flash floods.

“Between Sept 13-17, please be careful of possible danger caused by heavy to very heavy rainfall,” it said in a statement.

While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, man-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

A total of 29 people have been killed from heavy rain-related disasters since the start of the season, according to the kingdom’s emergency operation centre. – AFP