Asia-Pacific

Death toll in flood-hit Thailand climbs to 13

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-31 13:38

A villager wades through the floodwaters with his pigs in Surat Thani province, south of Bangkok March 30, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

BANGKOK - Interior Ministry's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported on Thursday that about 13 people were confirmed dead and 181 others injured in eight southern provinces affected by serious flooding since March 23.

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However, the death toll are expected to rise further since as many as 200 villagers were missing after the landslide struck in Khao Phanom district in Krabi province. About 50 homes were washed away by the mudslide on Wednesday.

Approximately 239,160 households and 842,324 people had been affected by heavy rain and floods.

The airport in Nakorn Si Thamarat province was closed while the one in Samui Island in Surat Thani province operated occasionally.

The rising waters have choked off 61 main roads and rail link in eight provinces. The south-bound train service currently runs down only to Surat Thani province.