AYUTTHAYA - The worst floods in decades in Thailand and severe flooding in neighbouring Cambodia have killed 20 people, the authorities said yesterday, as rescue workers braced for more rain and possible flooding in Bangkok.
Rescue teams evacuated stranded villagers by boat in some Thai provinces, including the old capital Ayutthaya, where flood waters swelled to about 1.5m in some districts, cutting off roads and inundating homes, shops and farmlands.
Flooding has hit a total of 17 provinces in Thailand. The country's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said 12 people had been killed since Oct 10.
The authorities said the swelling Chao Phraya river, which winds through Bangkok and nearby provinces, could overflow its banks in the coming week, causing flooding in the city of about 15 million people. Bangkok sits only 2m above sea level.
In neighbouring Cambodia, the floods have killed eight people and caused an estimated US$70 million ($92 million) in damage. Reuters
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