Hanoi (VNA) – Widespread floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains is battering Southeast Asian countries, leaving dozens dead, displacing tens of thousands and causing extensive damage in southern Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
In Thailand, the Royal Thai Armed Forces on November 26 mobilised personnel, medical teams and equipment to Songkhla province, the epicentre of the flooding, and set up four operations zones to coordinate rescue and evacuation work.
Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat confirmed that the death toll from the severe floods in the South of Thailand has risen to 33, mostly due to flash floods, electrocution and drowning.
Earlier, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared a state of emergency in Songkhla after prolonged heavy rains inundated Hat Yai district and surrounding areas, forcing more than 1,200 people to flee their homes. Across the southern region, more than 980,000 households – equivalent to 2.7 million people – have been affected.
Beyond Thailand, neighbouring countries are also reeling from severe flooding. In Malaysia, more than 21,000 people have been evacuated as of November 26, with ten states affected by intense rainfall.
Kelantan remains the hardest-hit state, sheltering 9,642 evacuees at 52 relief centres. Perak, Selangor and Kedah are also facing serious inundation.
In Indonesia, torrential rains have unleashed deadly flash floods and landslides on Sumatra island, killing at least 10 people and leaving six missing.
Rescue teams are facing difficult access to remote mountainous villages after swollen rivers swept mud, rocks and trees into communities. In the worst-hit city of Sibolga, five bodies have been recovered, while landslides in neighbouring Central Tapanuli buried several homes, killing members of one family. Nearly 2,000 houses and public facilities across North Sumatra have been submerged.
Local authorities have set up emergency shelters and urged residents in high-risk zones to evacuate immediately as heavy rains are expected to continue./.
