A family of five, including elderly women, smashed through the roof of their house, in flood-hit Hat Yai in Songkhla, to escape rapidly rising floodwaters.
They waved cloths and shouted for help, until rescue workers in nearby boats noticed them and came to their rescue.
The rescue operation from the roof was captured by a Thai PBS crew, who were flying a drone to survey flooding at the Klong Hoi Khong intersection.
The caption on the drone clip said that, during the rescue attempt, one officer accidentally stepped on the roof and fell into the floodwater.
He then swam and climbed back onto the roof before continuing the rescue. All five residents were successfully taken to safety.
In the Thoongsao area, a drone clip showed a group of elderly residents living on the roof of their house. The roof had been smashed open to allow them to escape the rising floodwaters. With their food and fruit nearby, it was unclear how many days they had been living on the roof.
Meanwhile, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) released an analysis of the flooding situation in Hat Yai district today, using the Height Above Nearest Drainage, or HAND model, combined with Sentinel-1A satellite data from 24 Novembe to estimate floodwater depth.
The analysis shows extensive and severe impacts, particularly on infrastructure and residents’ livelihoods, including:
· People affected - approximately 150,230
· Homes affected - more than 25,102 households
· Critical facilities - 47 schools and 8 hospitals
· Transportation networks - more than 536 kilometers affected
It is important to note that most of Hat Yai district is currently categorised as being a ‘dark blue’ zone, with flood depths of 2-3 meters, posing severe risks to life and property.
