A number of students at Phayao University were hastily evacuated from their flooded hostels this morning, after this northern province was lashed by heavy rain on Monday night, according to the Luecha Foundation Phayao’s website.
Some students reportedly took refuge on the roofs of their hostels before being rescued by emergency crews.
There are dozens of hostels located close to the university, which is situated near a stream, which overflowed and flooded the university, the hostels and many other houses.
The university has prepared temporary shelter on the campus for the evacuated students.
Today, the Meteorological Department advised people living near mountains and natural watercourses in Chanthaburi, Trat, Phang-nga, Phuket, Trang and Satun provinces to prepare for flash floods and river overflows due to very heavy rainfall expected in the next 24 hours.
The Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) also says that the already swollen Mekong River’s water level is expected to rise from tomorrow until Saturday, putting the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom at risk of flooding.
A mass of water in the Mekong River has already passed through Loei, Nong Khai and Bueng Kan provinces and is now heading for Nakhon Phanom.
A maximum of 21,187m3/s has been flowing towards Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnart Charoen and Ubon Ratchathani, according to measurements taken on Sunday.
The ONWR predicts that the water level in Mekong River will be about half a metre higher than its banks and will flood riverside areas in Nakhon Phanom.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) has introduced a new online application, called “Help T”, which provides early warnings of flooding, so members of the public can keep abreast of the latest situation.
DES Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong said that the system has been tested and is ready to become operational, adding that SMS messages about floods will be sent to people in the affected areas via the three mobile phone service providers, NT, True and AIS.
