CALGARY — Severe flooding across Thailand has killed at least 23 people and affected more than 2.6 million as authorities race to drain Bangkok and respond to rising water levels elsewhere in the country.Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported Tuesday that flooding remained active across 29 provinces and Bangkok, covering 167 districts, 890 subdistricts and more than 5,000 villages. More than 940,000 households and approximately 2.6 million people have been affected.The flooding has struck 42 provinces and Bangkok since Sept. 16, according to the agency. Of the 23 reported deaths, four occurred in the capital.Bangkok was particularly hard hit after approximately 320 millimetres — 12.6 inches — of rain fell over just three days, nearly as much rain as the sprawling city typically receives during the entire month of September.Entire neighbourhoods were inundated, vehicles were partially submerged and thousands of residents were forced into temporary shelters as the city's drainage system struggled to handle the deluge..Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said to Reuters floodwaters are now receding and major roads are expected to be largely cleared within two days.Some low-lying neighbourhoods could take as long as a week to fully drain.“Recovery efforts are under way in areas where the water has gone down,” Chadchart said.The flooding has also caused major disruptions at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand's busiest airport.Thai Airways said severe weather prevented roughly half of its employees from reaching work, contributing to widespread flight delays and a massive baggage backlog.Nearly all of the airline's flights over the previous two days were delayed, according to Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri, while approximately 5,000 pieces of luggage remained stranded at the airport Tuesday.The airline moved to reduce its Bangkok departures while attempting to restore normal operations..DDPM reported Tuesday morning that water levels were still rising in 14 provinces, stable in six provinces and Bangkok, and falling in nine provinces.Authorities also issued new flood warnings for communities along the Prachin Buri and Phetchaburi rivers as rising water, dam releases and high tides created additional risks of overflowing waterways.Residents in threatened low-lying areas were advised to move vehicles, belongings and important documents to higher ground and prepare to evacuate if necessary.Thailand's government has approved approximately 4.1 billion baht — about $122 million US — in emergency funding to assist flood victims.Reuters estimated the broader damage from the flooding at roughly $367 million US across two dozen provinces, raising concerns about further economic impacts in a country heavily dependent on tourism..The disaster comes during the peak of Thailand's rainy season, but the intensity of the rainfall has overwhelmed infrastructure in parts of the country.While conditions are improving in Bangkok, emergency operations remain underway as authorities monitor rivers, reservoirs and communities still facing rising water.
