A fire erupted in a building in Hat Yai’s commercial district this morning, trapping about 20 people inside.
Fire trucks struggled to reach the building, located on Niphat-uthis Road, due to the strong floodwater currents, while emergency workers braved the currents in a flat-bottom boat in an attempt to rescue those trapped.
At the time of this report, it is unclear how many have been rescued.
Rescue workers have also been working frantically to respond to multiple emergency calls for evacuation from residents living in the Thammanoon-vithi and Sri Puvanart areas, where the floodwater is steadily rising.
One body was found floating in the floodwater and an emergency team is on its way to recover it.
The Hat Yai municipality has given top priority to evacuating flood victims from high-risk areas. People have been advised to leave the area for their safety due to the worsening flood situation.
The municipality has sufficient space at evacuation shelters, such as the stadium at Prince of Songkhla University, to accommodate flood victims. A central kitchen is now open at the stadium. A public appeal has been launched, requesting raw ingredients with which to prepare food at the kitchen.
