bangkok — Chiang Mai, Thailand’s northern city popular with tourists, was inundated by widespread flooding Saturday as its main river overflowed its banks following heavy seasonal rainfall.
Authorities ordered some evacuations and said they were working to pump water out of residential areas and clear obstructions from waterways and drains to help water recede faster.
Dozens of shelters were set up across the city to accommodate residents whose homes were flooded. The Chiang Mai city government said the water level of the Ping River, which runs along the eastern edge of the city, was at critically high levels and was rising since Friday.
However, the provincial irrigation office Saturday forecast that the water level was likely to remain stable and recede to normal in about five days.
Elephants aid one another
Thai media reported that efforts to evacuate elephants and other animals from several sanctuaries and parks on the outskirts of the city were continuing Saturday. About 125 elephants along with other animals were taken to safety from the Elephant Nature Park, from where some escaped on their own to seek higher ground. About 10 animal shelters in the area have been flooded.
Video posted online by the park vividly illustrate that care and compassion are not solely human traits.
The video shows several of the park’s resident elephants fleeing through rising, muddy water to ground less inundated. Three of them dash through the deluge with some ease but, according to the park, a fourth one is blind and was falling behind. It showed greater difficulty passing through wrecked fencing.
Its fellows appear to call out to it, to guide it to their sides.
High water hampers evacuation efforts
Efforts to evacuate more animals were hampered by the high water, while more rain is forecast.
Chiang Mai Governor Nirat Pongsitthavorn said that the latest flooding, the second in six weeks, exceeded expectations.
Thailand’s state railway suspended service to Chiang Mai, with trains on the northern line from Bangkok terminating at Lampang, about 1 1/2 hours ride to the south. Chiang Mai International Airport said Saturday it was operating as usual.
Flooding was reported in 20 Thai provinces Saturday, mostly in the north. At least 49 people have died and 28 were injured in floods since August, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.
In the Thai capital Bangkok, the government said Saturday it will let more water flow out of the Chao Phraya Dam in the central province of Chai Nat over the next seven days, as it risks exceeding it capacity. The release of the water may affect residents downstream who live near waterways in Thailand’s central region, including Bangkok and the surrounding areas.
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