Thai military join flood rescue

Thai military join flood rescue

Thai troops joined the search for victims of deadly mudslides that engulfed homes in the flood-hit south, officials said Thursday, as naval boats rescued hundreds of tourists stuck on holiday islands.

At least 15 people have died after unseasonably wet weather deluged the homes and businesses of around a million people in what should be one of the hottest months of the year.

Around 150 troops with sniffer dogs moved in to search for the dead and missing in the southern province of Krabi after a mudslide, army spokesman Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said, as at least two people were confirmed killed.

Over a week of rain has swept floodwaters across the south of the country, cutting off road and rail links and leaving tourists stuck on islands in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea as ferries and flights were cancelled.

Efforts to reach trapped visitors appeared to be making headway on Thursday as flights to Koh Samui returned to normal and the country's only aircraft carrier, Chakri Naruebet, joined the rescue effort.

The ship docked in Sattahip naval base early Thursday morning carrying 734 holidaymakers, 532 of them foreigners, who had been picked up on the islands of Koh Tao and Koh Phangan.

The navy said more frigates are expected to collect tourists from isolated islands in the Gulf of Thailand during the day.

Bangkok Airways said flights to Koh Samui were operating normally and predicted it would clear the backlog of stranded passengers on Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said ferries to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan had also resumed.

"But for small islands like Koh Tao the naval response was critical. Thousands of tourists were stuck there and there was not enough food and water, so we had to help them first," he said.

He said up to 10 people were missing in the Krabi area after the mudslide.

Local authorities confirmed two people had died as the sludge submerged around 17 homes in the area, but Thailand's disaster prevention and mitigation department indicated the death toll could be higher.

The department said another 13 people were killed in floods across other parts of the south, with nine dead in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, three along the coast in Surat Thani and one in neighbouring Phatthalung. Another 181 people were injured.

In all, 81 districts of eight southern provinces have been declared disaster areas.

-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-

寒流来袭 泰南暴风雨

寒流来袭　泰南暴风雨11死百万人受灾

泰国非季节性的寒流南袭，导致南部连绵六天出现暴风雨，造成南部大部分地区发生大水灾，至少11人死亡，将近100万人受灾，迫使当局取消南下的火车班次和客机航班，船只停航，而以外国人为主的数千名旅客也无法飞离泰国湾度假胜地苏梅岛。
北部清迈府翁桂县摄氏7.5度

在北部的清迈府，翁桂县政府发言人贝德沙说，该县目前的气温反常，只有摄氏7.5度，县内的2000多头牛不堪奇寒，纷纷倒地冻毙。内政部防减灾难局宣布南部八府63县为灾区。局长威布说，这八府是洛坤、素叻他尼、博他仑、董里、春蓬、宋卡、甲米和陶公。

陶公府的所有13县，有大约九成的土地和园丘淹水水深40公分到50公分。他又说，自上星期六至今，泰南七府2763个乡村的97万9665民村民受灾。副首相素贴表示，天气恶劣，使当局难以出动搜援队和运载救援物资协助灾民，“一旦能见度恢复正常，南部军区总部将空运必需品给被困的灾民和疏散病人。”

苏梅岛机场一带公路被洪水淹没

泰国机场公司说，苏梅岛机场一带的公路被洪水淹没，使得机场无限期取消服务。从曼谷飞往苏梅岛的第一趟航班，因机场四周风势威猛，被迫在下午1时55分掉头折返。该公司又说，洛坤府机场已在星期日关闭。

苏梅岛海面出现惊涛骇浪，浪高达3公尺，运载旅客回返泰国本土的渡轮也停航。泰国湾其他海域和西部安达曼海的巨浪，高2到3公尺。

《联合早报》

清迈7.5度 2000头牛冻死

清迈7.5度　2000头牛冻死

清迈降温至摄氏7.5度，2000头牛被冻死。

清迈府翁桂县气候反常，过去几天气温骤降只剩7.5度，县内的2000多头牛不堪奇寒，纷纷倒地冻毙。

当局已经派人视察牧场和养殖场，教导农夫如何替动物抵御寒冷，同时提供药物杀菌，确保它们健康。

位于清迈境内达楠岭(Danen Range)盛产茶叶的因他暖山（Inthanon Mount），一天内气温降了5度。负责人说，大山中有很多云，白天气温有13度，岂料一到晚上气温就骤降5度，若没有及时御寒会被冻伤。

专家认为，“拉尼娜”引发泰南水灾。

泰国气象学家分析，泰北变冷和泰南暴雨，很可能是拉尼娜现象的结果。

拉尼娜现象的特征是，太平洋东部水温下降，出现干旱天气，而西部却水温上升，降水量比正常年份明显偏多，通常会影响到中国东南沿海和东南亚北部。

《联合晚报》

万五游客受困度假岛

万五游客受困度假岛　泰海军出动航母营救

泰国南部连绵豪雨所引发的水灾和土崩至今已造成至少21人丧命。该地区的火车服务已被取消，三座机场关闭，大约1万5000名游客受困于苏梅岛等著名的度假岛屿；泰国海军出动唯一的航空母舰参与营救行动。

副首相素帖说，政府派出唯一的恰克理纳鲁贝特号（HTMS Chakri Naruebet）轻型航母，营救受困涛岛（Koh Tao）上的1000多人。

内政部指出，共有1225名游客被困在涛岛，攀牙岛（Koh Phangan）有1100人受困。斯米兰群岛（Similan Islands）和素林岛（Surin Islands）分别有70人和55人受困。

英国驻泰国大使阿西夫说，英国政府和泰国海军正保持着密切的联系，讨论疏散受困游客的问题。

海军派出4艘船运送救援物品到重灾区，并拯救受困的游客和村民。

据了解，海军已从苏梅岛和涛岛疏散了1200人。但苏梅岛旅游协会的班那萨说，受困在该岛的游客有大约1万3000人。他警告，当地的粮食和燃料等供应可能会在未来几天出现短缺。

《联合早报》

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