At least nine people have died and dozens of flights have been suspended due to flooding in northern Thailand, caused by the aftershocks of Typhoon Yagi, which is still causing havoc in the worst-affected country, Vietnam, and others in the region.
According to the Thai government, at least nine people have died due to flooding since Tuesday in the northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, the most touristic of the two, with no evidence of travelers among the victims.
The province most affected on Thursday is Chiang Rai, the northernmost area of Thailand, whose international airport suspended all flights today while authorities deal with the worst flooding in decades, according to the Thai PBS media.
In addition, authorities announced the closure of several roads and bridges in the province of some 1.3 million inhabitants, while it is estimated that hundreds of citizens are being evacuated in operations that began on Wednesday night, assisted by jet skis for the most flooded areas.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra mobilized the Army on Thursday to send boats, helicopters and other means of transport to the affected areas, while temples and hotels have opened their doors to accommodate almost 1,000 affected people, according to the Government.
EFE/EPA images show how rescue teams in boats and skiffs rescue neighbors from flooded houses in streets where the water already reaches the waist of pedestrians.
The National Office for Water Resources reported on Thursday that another 40 provinces in the country remain on alert for possible flooding, as a new tropical depression is expected to increase its power until September 18.
Typhoon Yagi, the strongest typhoon in Asia this year, hit northern Vietnam on Saturday, killing around 200 people and leaving more than 120 missing in the country, where it arrived after causing around 20 fatalities in its passage through China and the Philippines.
