Torrential rain lashes Phang Nga with highway flooded

PHANG NGA continued to suffer from torrential rain and floods today (Oct. 19) with the provincial authorities warning people heavy downpour will continue until Monday Oct. 24, Naewna newspaper said.

Mr. Ekarat Lisen, the governor of Phang Nga which is just north of Phuket, visited the almost a kilometre-long stretch of badly flooded Petchkasem Highway from the front of the fresh market in Takua Pa district to Khao Lak Medical Centre with motorcycles and small cars unable to pass.

Amid incessant rain it has been found that this stretch of the highway gets repeatedly flooded when the downpour is heavy.

Ekarat said he had ordered the mayor of Takua Pa district and other senior officials to quickly reduce the floodwater and had declared a disaster zone so as to draw a budget for assistance.

The three stages of resolving floods in this province are firstly in the short term quickly install pumps to drain out the floodwater, in the medium term to replace the drain pipes beneath the roads with bigger ones, and long term install even larger ones.

Mr. Saeng Saton, the provincial head of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said in draining out floodwater quickly pumps with 28,000-litre-a-minute capacity have been put to work from the front of the market all the way to the Khao Lak Medical Centre. Traffic on one side of the road, from Takua Pa to Thai Mueang district, has been temporarily closed but the other side remains open.

The department warned residents of this province to beware of heavy rain till Monday Oct. 24 particularly the possibility of mudslide on slopes. Those in need of help should call the 24-hour hotline 1784.

CAPTION:

A badly flooded section of Phetkasem Highway running through Phang Nga today, Oct. 29, 2022. Photos: Naewna