At least 9 killed, 150,000 families affected in southern Thailand floods

Bangkok, Dec 23 (EFE).- Floods in several provinces of southern Thailand have claimed the lives of at least nine people and affected more than 150,000 families since mid-December, according to official data published on Friday.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said in a statement Friday that six southern provinces – Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat – were still facing problems caused by water accumulation in more than 50 towns.

Four out of the nine casualties are from Narathiwat, the most affected region, adjacent to northern Malaysia.

According to the latest update regarding the situation, authorities report that waters have begun to retreat.

Floods are common in Thailand, where abundant rainfall is recorded in the southern region during the monsoon between September and December, and in the central and northern region between June and October.

In 2011, Thailand witnessed one of its worst floods, which claimed 815 lives and caused multi-million dollar losses, mainly due to businesses shutting down, and agricultural damages. EFE

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