Scores killed and thousands evacuated from record rainfall

Parts of Thailand are battling record flooding, which has killed at least 18 people and prompted authorities to deploy military ships and helicopters to aid relief efforts.

Ten provinces in the south of the country have been flooded over the past week, with the city of Hat Yai, a trading hub bordering Malaysia, recording the heaviest rainfall in 300 years – 335 mm in a single day.

Pictures show vehicles and homes in the city submerged, while desperate residents wait on their rooftops for rescue.

Incessant rains have also devastated neighboring countries. The death toll in Vietnam has risen to 91 in a week, while more than 19,000 people have been forced from their homes in Malaysia.

More than 2 million people in Thailand have been affected by floods, but only 13,000 have been moved to shelters.

According to Reuters news agency, most people are cut off and unable to get help.

The Thai military, which has been tasked with handling the crisis, said it was preparing to send an aircraft carrier and a fleet of 14 boats loaded with relief supplies, as well as field kitchens that it said would be able to distribute 3,000 meals a day.

The Navy said medical teams aboard the aircraft carrier would convert it into a “floating hospital” if needed.

The governor of Songkhla province, where Hat Yai is located, said boats, high-clearance trucks and jet skis were also deployed to evacuate residents.

The cabinet on Tuesday declared Songkhla a disaster area, releasing funds for relief.

However, many people are stranded amid the rising waters.

The Machima Rescue Centre, a volunteer rescue group, told Reuters it had received thousands of calls over the past three days from people asking to be evacuated.

People have also posted urgent calls for help on Matchima’s Facebook page. One user wrote, “Many people are stranded… please help.” “It is very difficult right now. The water has reached the second floor, where there are children, elderly, sick and disabled!!!”

Another wrote that his family had been waiting for help for three days: “Now every second is important… Please help share. My (phone’s) battery is at 40%. Thank you all.”

Some also wrote about not getting food and water for several days.

A clip that went viral on social media shows three young boys hanging from power lines, trying to get to safety, while brown dirty water rises below them.

In Malaysia, more than 19,000 people have been evacuated to safety, with 126 evacuation centers set up in the northern border areas.

In the states of Kelantan and Perlis, rescue teams waded through knee-deep floodwaters to evacuate residents in areas where rising waters had closed access to roads.