Government confirms 55 flood deaths; police found over 100 bodies
The Emergency Flood Crisis Operation Centre reported yesterday, November 27, that the death toll from the severe flooding in Songkhla province has risen to 55. However, updates from the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and several rescue teams suggest the number of bodies found may exceed 100.
The centre’s spokesperson, Siripong Angkasakulkiat, offered condolences to all affected families and provided a situation update during a press briefing. Siripong said Songklanagarind Hospital confirmed a total of 85 deaths so far, 55 related to the flooding and 30 from non-flood causes.
Siripong also spoke about the government’s digital platforms used during the crisis. The “Hat Yai Flush” and “Happy Fondu” systems received 4,010 requests for assistance, and rescue teams managed to bring 3,492 people to safety through these channels.
Around 10,000 meal sets have been delivered to residents trapped in flood-hit areas. Evacuation centres currently have the capacity to produce 60,000 sets of food for evacuees and are preparing to increase production by at least 50%.
The spokesperson emphasised that the death figures released to the public were only those officially confirmed by the Ministry of Public Health. He insisted the government had never denied the possibility of higher fatalities and acknowledged that additional cases are likely.
Siripong stressed that all information provided to the public was transparent and that no edits or reductions had been made to official numbers.
Regarding communication support, Siripong said the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society had successfully secured assistance from SpaceX to deploy Starlink equipment to support rescue operations. The equipment is expected to arrive no later than today, November 28.
For financial assistance, the Comptroller General’s Department will transfer disaster relief funds to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), which will distribute the money to affected households.
The government also approved funeral assistance of 2,000,000 baht per person and will provide financial support for house-cleaning costs.
Meanwhile, the RTP announced on its official Facebook page that the Forensic Science Centre discovered more than 100 bodies in Hat Yai, with at least 20 requiring identification. Forensic teams have been deployed to conduct autopsies, and additional cold storage has been arranged.
Rescue teams also reported that the number of bodies retrieved from floodwaters is significantly higher than 55. The Thailand Rescue Driver Facebook page reported transporting 67 bodies from Hat Yai Hospital to Songklanagarind Hospital for autopsies.
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