Anutin puts Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai governors on high alert
Interior minister pushes for enhanced urgent relief efforts as torrential rains batter most of the North of Thailand
The governors of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai have been instructed to keep a close eye on the flood situation in their provinces and be ready to provide urgent help.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who doubles as deputy PM, said on Wednesday that the governors have been told to implement emergency disaster alleviation measures to prevent the loss of life and provide urgent aid.
Though the new Cabinet will deliver its policy statement to Parliament on Thursday, Anutin can still issue orders as he is still caretaker minister. He holds the same position in the new government.
Anutin said he has received reports from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department that the two northern provinces have been battered with torrential rain for several days now due to the influence of the storm Yagi, which hit Vietnam.
Anutin said the two hardest-hit areas were Chiang Mai’s Mae Ai district and Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district.
He added that a landslide in Mae Ai has claimed one life so far and four others are still missing. The flooding in Mae Sai, he said, was still very severe and hundreds of people were stranded, seeking shelter on their roofs.
Anutin said officials could not use flat-bottom boats to evacuate the victims due to strong tides, so he has instructed the disaster alleviation department to dispatch heavy machinery instead.
“I’ve ordered Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai governors to monitor the situation closely and to remain in their provinces to coordinate relief efforts,” he said.
According to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, seven provinces in upper Thailand have been inundated by heavy rainfall affecting 14,328 families. The affected provinces are Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Tak, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya.
