October 1, 2013
By The Associated Press
BANGKOK - Thai authorities said
Tuesday that floods have killed more than 20 people and affected areas
across the country over the past two weeks, though experts say there is
little risk of a repeat of the devastation that occurred during record
floods two years ago.
Thirty-two out of 77 provinces
have experienced flooding since mid-September and 23 people have been
killed, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said in a
report, adding that 25 provinces still have flooding.
It said more than 2.8 million people were affected by the floodwaters and 15,254 had been evacuated from their homes.
Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop
Suraswadi said Thailand was not at risk from the remnants of Tropical
Storm Wutip, which reached the northeast on Tuesday. However, he said
the country should be ready for other storms.
In 2011, Thailand suffered its
worst flooding in half a century. More than 800 people were killed and 6
million hectares (14.8 million acres) of agricultural, industrial and
residential lands were devastated. Many of the country`s industrial
estates, which export electronic parts, auto parts and hard disk drives,
were swamped, as were large parts of Bangkok.
Authorities have downplayed concerns of a repeat.
"Thanks to the dredging of the
canals and the weather, at this point there is nothing to panic about,"
Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra tweeted Monday night. "Currently the
water level in the Chao Phraya River is still low, so there`s nothing to
worry."
Experts also say it is unlikely the capital will see major flooding this year.
"It is not worrisome as the
situation is very different from 2011," said Seree Supratid, the
director of a climate and disaster center at Bangkok`s Rangsit
University.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Story Image: Thais wade through
floodwaters in Prachinburi province,Thailand, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013. (AP
Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
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