Bangkok city authorities today declared a state of emergency in all 50 districts of Thailand's capital, due to flooding caused by torrential rains.
The state of disaster, which allows local authorities to take emergency measures, was declared after nearly 300 millimeters of rain fell in Thailand’s capital since Thursday, according to Bangkok Governor Sanchart Sitipunt.
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“The water level hasn’t stopped rising. It’s hard to go outside now. It’s up to my waist,” Somkid Feuk-ngam, a 67-year-old vendor who lives next to a canal near downtown, told Agence France-Presse. “I can’t go anywhere. I’ve had my shop closed for two days now,” she continued, adding that she hasn’t seen flooding like this in the city in 15 years.
The rain, which has been falling continuously since Thursday afternoon, has flooded the streets and caused water levels to rise in Bangkok’s canals, while water has seeped into many buildings located next to them.
According to the governor, the eastern part of the city has been hit the hardest. “It’s still raining, and we’re doing the best we can. We’re trying to drain the water, but the canals are full,” he told reporters.
He urged patients who are bedridden at home and depend on life-saving medical equipment to consider being admitted to the hospital for a temporary stay.
In 2011, widespread flooding across Thailand claimed the lives of more than 500 people and caused damage to millions of homes.
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Source: CNA
