7 Dead in Thailand Amid Floods

According to Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Agency, at least seven people have been killed and more than 260,000 affected by severe floods caused by heavy monsoon rains, as authorities continue emergency relief operations.

The agency initially reported four deaths earlier this week in central Thailand but updated the toll to seven on Saturday. The floods have inundated several regions along the Chao Phraya River, leaving communities struggling with rising waters.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited Ayutthaya, one of the hardest-hit areas, on Saturday in one of his first field inspections since taking office. He instructed local authorities to distribute survival kits, reinforce flood barriers with sandbags, and monitor areas prone to landslides.

The Thai Meteorological Department has warned of further heavy rainfall in the coming days. While seasonal rains between June and September are common, climate experts caution that industrial-driven climate change has made extreme weather events in the region more intense and unpredictable.

Just last month, five people were killed and 15 were injured in northern Thailand due to landslides and floods triggered by Typhoon Koinu. 

In 2011, more than 500 people died and millions of homes were damaged during one of the country’s worst flood disasters.