A young man was swept away by strong currents and drowned when flash flood swept into a subdistrict in Wang Nam Khieu district of Thailand’s northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima before dawn today (Sunday).
The victim’s friends told officials that they were riding motorcycles back home when, without warning, a deluge of water swept the 18-year old away, with his motorbike.
They said they tried to help him, but the current was so strong that there was nothing they could do. The victim’s body was later found in subdistrict Wang Mee, in the same district.
Residents in subdistrict Udomsap said that the flash flood came so fast that they were caught unprepared.
Officials said that runoff, from the mountain range in Tap Larn National Park, swept into the Lam Chiang Sa reservoir, causing it to overflow into subdistrict Udomsap.
Rescue workers rushed to subdistrict Udomsap this morning, to evacuate villagers to safety.
It is reported that the Tap Larn tunnel, which cuts through the Khao Yai Mountain, was under about 1.7 metres of water, making it impassable to all vehicles.
