Major unseasonal storms are battering the northeast and parts of southern Thailand along the Gulf coast, with nearly 1,800 homes damaged and searches continuing for missing fishermen. The Bangkok Post reports that 235 villages across 10 provinces have been affected.
A total of 1,781 homes in the provinces of Amnat Charoen, Surin, Chaiyaphum, Sakon Nakhon, Ubon Ratchathani, UdonThani, Roi Et, Kalasin, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat have been damaged by the storms.
Meanwhile, searches are underway for crewmen still missing after a number of fishing trawlers were caught in the rough weather while out at sea yesterday.
Out of a total of 48 boats that left from the Pak Phanang district of Nakhon Si Thammarat over the weekend, it’s understood 10 capsized in the rough weather. Two navy patrol boats and a military helicopter have joined the rescue mission off the coast of the southern province.
The helicopter crew managed to pull 3 people out of the water off the coast of Pak Phanang, but another person was found dead off the coast of Si Chon district. The total number of fatalities as a result of the storms currently stands at 3.
In the Tha Sala district of Nakhon Si Thammarat, rescuers saved all crewmembers from 3 fishing boats which had capsized. In Muang district, 8 boats carrying 16 crewmembers between them went to sea over the weekend. It’s now known that one of those crewmembers has died.
And in the district of Sichon, where one trawler went out with 4 crew, 3 of them were rescued but the fourth man, who had been missing, is now presumed dead.
Meanwhile, ferry services between Koh Samui and Surat Thani’s Donsak Pier continue to run as normal, after one of the vessels ended up damaged and partially submerged after it was struck by big waves while docked at the pier.
There were no passengers on board at the time and no injuries reported. However, two of the piers at Donsak have been closed until repairs have been carried out on the damaged vessel, which is expected to be removed within the next day or two.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
