Flood Crisis Operations Centre updates southern flood death toll to 33

The Flood Crisis Operations Centre on Wednesday updated the death toll from flooding in seven southern provinces to 33 and urged local residents to evacuate when alerted, as the crisis could worsen.

Death Toll Breakdown

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat announced the latest death toll after a meeting of the centre held at the Government House. The Public Health Ministry reported the following breakdown:

• Nakhon Si Thammarat: 9 deaths
• Phatthalung: 4 deaths
• Songkhla: 6 deaths
• Trang: 2 deaths
• Satun: 2 deaths
• Pattani: 5 deaths
• Yala: 5 deaths

Causes of Deaths

Siripong stated that the main causes of death were electrocution, run-off, drowning, and mudslides.

Fake News Clarification

The spokesman dismissed as fake news reports claiming that a rescue helicopter had crashed in Hat Yai and warned that social media had been overwhelmed with false information in recent days. He also denied rumours circulating on social media that 80 to 100 patients at Hat Yai Hospital had drowned. He clarified that while about 40 patients had died during the flooding period, most were already in the terminal stages of their illness and did not die due to the floods.

Flood Situation Update

The spokesman reported that while rainfall had decreased, provinces such as Satun and Nakhon Si Thammarat had issued evacuation warnings for their residents. Some provinces had issued evacuation alerts on Tuesday, but many residents had ignored the warnings. He urged local residents not to ignore these evacuation orders, as it would become much more difficult to evacuate them if the situation worsened.

Evacuation of Vulnerable Groups

Siripong stressed that vulnerable groups should evacuate to temporary shelters in their provinces immediately to ensure their safety.

Rescue Support and Volunteer Recruitment

The spokesman added that the centre would provide personnel and equipment—such as jet skis, speedboats, and high vehicles—to support rescue operations. Any rescue organisation needing assistance could contact the centre, which would deploy resources by C130 aircraft, flying five sorties per day to deliver supplies to rescue teams.

The government also began recruiting volunteers to assist with the operations, starting Wednesday. Those interested in volunteering could apply via the Thang Rath app. Siripong stated that the government would cover travel, food, accommodation, and petrol costs for the volunteers. Volunteers already engaged in rescue efforts would be retroactively registered to qualify for government support.

Government Support for Volunteers

"The government will not leave volunteers to work alone; we will support you in aiding southern flood victims," the spokesman concluded.