At least three people are confirmed to be dead, and dozens are missing after flash floods swam through Chiang Mai- a Northern Thai town known for its thriving tourism-on Sunday. Heavy rain poured down in the area, giving rise to the Ping River to 5.30 meters or 17.4 feet- the highest in 50 years, reported Saturday night, which displaced floodwaters into the city and its outskirts.
Residents in thigh-deep brown waters were seen wading as tourists were taken from hotels in trucks. Many shops were closed, and the central train station was shut after floodwaters filled the area and stopped train services to the city.
Public health official Saritdet Charoenchai said three deaths were reported, including a 44-year-old man who was electrocuted and a 33-year-old woman who died in a mudslide. Over 80 people have been displaced and sought shelter as nearly a dozen medical centers were forced to close due to the flooding.
In one of the more unusual rescue operations, elephants were sent out to evacuate those stranded by the floodwaters. Two elephants drowned in a sanctuary north of the city on Sunday.
Authorities also employed elephants to deliver relief supplies to stricken communities. Heavy rains have hit northern Thailand since Typhoon Yagi swept across the region early in September, bringing the worst flooding in 80 years in some districts.
Flooding, so far, has inundated 20 of Thailand’s 76 provinces, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said. Risks of further flooding – most notably in the capital city of Bangkok – are considered high after the Irrigation Department announced it would release water from a major dam after weeks of constant rain.
