BANGKOK, Thailand: Authorities in Bangkok declared a disaster across all 50 districts on Saturday after three days of heavy rain caused widespread flooding across the Thai capital.
The declaration gives local organisations greater authority to respond to the emergency and comes after almost 300 millimetres (11.8 inches) of rain fell across the city since Thursday afternoon.
“The water keeps coming in. It’s hard to go out now. It’s like at my waist level now,” said Somkid Pheuk-ngam, 67, a vendor living near a canal north of central Bangkok.
“I cannot go anywhere. I have been closing my shop for two days now,” she said, adding that although flooding was common in the area, “I think this time is worse than the 2011 flood.”
Rain has fallen almost continuously since Thursday, flooding roads and causing Bangkok’s canals to overflow into nearby homes and restaurants.
“I woke up to go to work, and the street in front of my house was flooded,” said motorbike rider Samruay Nakkamnueng in the Ari neighbourhood.
“I worried if my motorbike would be able to wade through floodwater this much.”
In the On Nut neighbourhood, residents were seen wading through knee-high water and filling sandbags to protect their homes.
More Rain Forecast
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said eastern areas were among the worst affected and warned that more rain was expected.
“The rain keeps falling, and we are doing our best. We are trying to pump the water out, but the water in canals is full,” he said on social media.
“The risk areas are those who live near canals. Every canal is now filled.”
Chadchart urged bedridden patients who depend on life-saving medical equipment to consider temporarily staying in hospitals and advised residents to move vehicles to higher ground.
Bangkok’s public transport authority offered free access to MRT “park and ride” facilities for residents to store vehicles until October 2.
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation warned that a low-pressure system affecting eastern, northeastern and central regions could bring further flash floods, forest runoff, mudslides and river overflows through Sunday.
