A 60-year-old woman drowned in Yan Ta Khao district on Saturday after being swept off a bridge by a violent mountain flash flood while returning from a fishing trip with her sister.
The sisters were returning home across a bridge spanning a stream fed by the Banthat mountain range when they noticed the water turning murky and rising rapidly due to heavy rainfall upstream near Prai Sawan Waterfall.
As they rushed to safety, the victim handed her fishing rod to her sister for support, but a sudden surge of water struck her, washing her off the structure and into the raging current.
Local search teams located her body approximately 2.5 kilometers downstream six hours later.
Meanwhile, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) issued emergency Cell Broadcast alerts to residents in Muang, Nuea Khlong, Khlong Thom, and Khao Phanom districts of Krabi province, warning of imminent flash floods and runoff.
Severe flooding across Muang district forced temporary road closures, while heavy winds knocked down six utility poles.
In neighboring Phang-nga province, continuous rainfall triggered a major landslide on Tha Ka Dai Mountain in Thai Mueang district, blocking the primary road connecting Thai Mueang and Kapong districts.
Heavy machinery from the Phuket Highway District was dispatched to clear rocks and debris to restore traffic flow.
Authorities across southern Thailand have urged residents in high-risk zones to monitor weather advisories closely through October 25 as heavy to very heavy rainfall persists.
