Ang Thong reels as worst flood in decades hits homes and hospital (video)
Local officials rush to reinforce embankments as crisis deepens
Flooding in Ang Thong province has reached a critical level, with rising waters from the Chao Phraya River breaching barriers and inundating key areas including Pa Mok Market and local municipalities.
Officials are scrambling to contain the damage by reinforcing embankments with clay in multiple locations. In Pa Mok Market, water levels have surged by up to 50 centimetres, forcing residents to shift their belongings to higher ground. The Electricity Authority has shut off power in the area to avoid accidents.
Locals say the current flood is the worst in almost four decades. While the 2011 floods made headlines across Thailand, this particular area had been spared until now.
At Pa Mok Hospital, flood defences have come under intense pressure. Although a 4-metre-high embankment stands at the front, water has breached the rear via a nearby canal, spilling into a neighbouring village and threatening the hospital. In response, emergency teams are racing to strengthen the hospital’s defences. Officials noted that this is the first time the hospital has faced flooding since it was established in 1995.
Nearby, in Community 11, floodwaters have reached the first floors of homes, prompting evacuations of vulnerable residents, including bedridden patients. Despite the use of sandbags, several homes have already succumbed to the water.
The Chao Phraya River, swollen by runoff from Chainat province, is currently flowing at over 2,700 cubic metres per second, according to data from the Chao Phraya Dam. Officials say that if the embankments hold, further water level increases can be avoided.
The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) has flagged several high-risk flood zones along the river due to controlled discharges from the dam. Heavy runoff from northern provinces continues to challenge flood management efforts downstream.
The Nation reported that low-lying areas in Chainat, Singburi, Ang Thong, Suphanburi, Ayutthaya, Saraburi and Pathum Thani remain at high risk. Both farmland and residential zones are at risk of overflow as river levels strain current defences.
Officials urge residents, particularly those in orange and red zones, to stay alert and move belongings to higher ground. Coordination between local governments, emergency services, and the public is being called critical in mitigating further damage.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
