PHAYAO - Overflowing rivers flooded 2,900 houses in Phayao's Chiang Kham and Pong districts on Monday morning, with one man reported missing and three other people injured.
Relentless rain from Sunday first caused the Ngim River to breach its banks in tambon Ngim, tambon Oi and tambon Pong of Pong district about 1am Monday. The flood swollen Ngim River and other tributaries, including Lam Huai Phae, then flowed to the Yom River, which in turn overflowed.
Korn Mahawongnant, disaster mitigation chief of Phayao, said 75 villages in Chiang Kham and Pong districts were inundated. In Pong, 2,500 houses in 28 villages were affected and in Chiang Kham a total of 405 houses in 47 villages were flooded.
The two-hour flood was 50-100 centimetres deep. Houses and government offices at the centre of Pong district were flooded. Anurat Thesthong, assistant mayor of tambon Pong, said it was the severest flood in seven years.
A 39-year-old man identified as Noparat Khanthares of Pong district was missing. Somphis Jaisue received a severe electric shock at home in tambon Oi. Two other people fell and broke bones.
Dozens of cows and pigs were caught up in the flood, with many of them drowning because they were tethered. Local roads and farmland were damaged.
Rescuers anchor a rope for stranded people to grab hold of as the Yom River overflows behind the Pong district office on Monday. (Photo by Saiarun Pinaduang)
The road in Pong district was damaged by floodwater from the overflowing river on Monday. (Photo by Saiarun Pinaduang)
