Manpower, equipment and relief supplies from various sources have been arriving in Chiang Rai province to help flood victims, many of whom remain stranded in their homes by the worst flooding for three decades.
Runoff water from a mountain range in Myanmar’ Shan state and from watershed areas is yet to reach the Sai and Ruak rivers. Satellite images, provided by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), show 767 hectares on the Myanmar border under water, while nearly a thousand hectares in Mae Sai district are flooded.
To coordinate rescue operations, Supreme Commander General Songwit Noonpackdee and some of his senior officers have been in Mae Sai district, which is suffering the worst flooding.
A SEAL team has been sent to Mae Sai district by the Royal Thai Navy, to join local rescue teams and private volunteers in extracting flood victims, many of whom have sought refuge on the roofs of their flooded homes.
Several trapped people have now been rescued by the SEAL team members, but there are still many more waiting anxiously after being told by rescue workers not to leave their home unaided due to the dangers posed by the strong currents.
In Mueang district, a 27-year-old woman was rescued last night from the fence of a house, which she had managed to grab and cling onto after being washed away by strong currents in the swollen river. In tears, she told her rescuers that she witnessed five of her neighbours being washed away. Their fate is, as yet, unknown.
The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has set up four temporary shelters in Mae Sai district, which can accommodate as many as 160 people.
Meanwhile, a volunteer has posted a message on Facebook offering free accommodation and car parking at her apartment in Mae Sai district.
Many flood victims are finding help for themselves and their pets via social media. One web page, “Lost dogs and cats Chiang Rai V.2”, is coordinating the appeals for help locating their missing pets.
According to the Chiang Rai provincial office of public disaster prevention and mitigation, 5 sub-districts, 17 villages and 8 communities in the Mueang district have been flooded since Wednesday night.
The Mae Fah Luang, Khao Phaya Mengrai and Kok bridges were closed to traffic last night due to heavy flooding. Five schools have also been closed.
