A 71-year-old woman died in a hospital in Chiang Mai after the boat, which had been sent to rescue her and two others, capsized in deep floodwater.
A rescue team was sent to a house in Nong Phueng sub-district last night to evacuate three people, including 71-year-old “Nupin”. All three were placed into a boat and rescue workers waded through the raging floodwater, guiding the boat towards an evacuation centre.
The boat capsized, however, throwing the three passengers into the water. They were quickly rescued and moved to dry land, where CPR was administered to the elderly woman by one of the rescue workers, before she was rushed to the Thep Panya Hospital.
A doctor and medics there continued to administer CPR, but could not save her life. The doctor said later that there was fluid in her lungs and she had not been breathing for a long time.
Meanwhile, riverside communities in Saraphli, Hang Dong and San Patong districts were advised by the provincial administration to evacuate any bed-ridden relatives, their belongings and animals to higher ground, ahead of the arrival of a fresh mass of water from Mueang district.
Meanwhile, the abbot of Chedi Luang Temple in Saraphli district rode an elephant to help victims trapped in communities submerged in deep floodwater, and which were inaccessible by other modes of transport due to the strong currents.
The electricity supply to many villages in Saraphli district has been cut for safety. Floodwater in the district is 1-2 metres deep. Numerous cars and motorcycles are submerged because the floodwater came so fast that their owners were caught unprepared.
