Death toll from flooding in Thailand rises to 145

The number of victims of flooding in Thailand’s southern provinces has risen from 110 to 145, the kingdom’s Health Ministry reported. The death toll from flooding and landslides in Thailand shot up on Friday, piling more trouble onto a country already struggling with a shaky economy. People’s are frustrated, and they’re not shy about blaming the government which, by the way, has only been in power for about ten weeks.

Most of the victims — 110 — were found in the Songkhla province, where the city of Hat Yai suffered severe flooding, although the water level has dropped over the past day. This has allowed authorities to evacuate affected residents and intensify search and rescue operations.

The Thai Navy is involved in mitigating the consequences of the disaster and providing humanitarian aid. In total, about 2 million people have been affected by the flooding.

On Monday, authorities in the Songkhla province announced the evacuation of Hat Yai, a city with a population of about 160,000. In Songkhla province, things look especially grim. Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said 110 people have died there, out of 145 total deaths across southern Thailand. That number almost doubled in just one day.

Over 1.25 million households and 3.6 million people have been hit by the disaster, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.