Floods in southern Thailand have killed at least six people and affected tens of thousands, some of whom have been forced to leave their homes, authorities said Wednesday.
The floods began on December 22 and more than 70,000 households were affected in the provinces of Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, according to regional authorities.
Six people, including an 89-year-old woman and a toddler, were killed in Narathiwat, the province’s deputy governor, Preecha Nualnoi, told AFP.
Another person remains missing following heavy rains which caused flooding of up to three meters in places.
Local media showed streets submerged in the deluge of mud and residents taking shelter on rooftops.
Rescue teams distributed bottles of water and food throughout the night and inspected homes to assess the damage and ensure that there were no victims inside.
Thailand’s natural disaster management service said the water level had fallen on Wednesday morning.
Train services to the Malaysian border have resumed, after several days of closure due to subsidence of the tracks, according to Preecha Nualnoi.
The kingdom’s rainy season, which ends later in the south, typically brings months of daily deluges, but scientists say man-made climate change may make rainfall more intense.
In 2011, floods killed hundreds of people and damaged millions of homes across the country.