In the city of Chiang Mai, a popular tourist destination in northern Thailand, one of the most serious floods in the last fifty years occurred. The Ping River overflowed, reaching a level of 5.3 meters on the evening of October 5. This flooding was a result of prolonged heavy rains caused by the monsoon season and remnants of several tropical cyclones.
According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the flood affected twenty out of 76 provinces in Thailand, where water levels reached "critical" levels. At least three people have died, and at least 100 are still reported missing.
Over 80 people were evacuated to safety as nearly a dozen medical centers ceased operations due to the flooding. Some tourists were evacuated from their hotels by truck, and Chiang Mai's train station was closed, halting train services to the city.
The world-renowned elephant sanctuary in northern Thailand suffered greatly from the flood, with about 80% of the area where thousands of animals live submerged. Staff worked to evacuate animals to higher ground, but unfortunately, two elephants drowned in the sanctuary on Sunday.
Mr. Arttapol, head of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, reported that a large number of people are needed to rescue over 100 elephants and thousands of sick and disabled animals.
Volunteers and sanctuary workers used boats to relocate at-risk animals.
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