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At least 37 die in southern Thailand flood

A Thai man looks at the pictures of dead bodies recovered by rescue workers following a flash flood in Trang Province on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

Rescue workers yesterday searched for survivors after a flash flood killed at least 37 tourists who were cooling off in two waterfalls in southern Thailand.

Authorities resumed the hunt at dawn after a torrent of water poured over the waterfalls on Saturday afternoon in Trang, a seaside province 700km south of Bangkok.

It occurred as the country was celebrating the Buddhist New Year.

"The death toll has increased to 37. All bodies have been identified, including an 18-year-old Laos national," Thai Health Ministry Secretary Prat Boonyawongvirot said in a statement.

Hospital officials in Trang said 17 of the dead were children.

Anxious and tearful relatives gathered by the waterfalls as police divers and rescue workers in life jackets scoured the river for survivors or victims of the flash flood, which police said was caused by heavy rain.

"We are still searching in the hope of finding survivors -- we do have hope left," local police chief Colonel Sonthichai Awatanakulthep said.

More than 100 people were swimming in the waters when the torrents struck Sairung and Prai Sawan waterfalls, which are about 5km apart and whose names translate as "rainbow" and "heavenly jungle."

They are popular tourist spots surrounded by picturesque forest and were particularly crowded because of the five-day Songkran holiday weekend celebrating Buddhist New Year, when Thais traditionally head home or into the countryside for some of the hottest days of the year.

Trang police chief Major General Kajorn Siriwan said about 10 holidaymakers were still missing.

"We rescued more than 100 tourists yesterday [Saturday] so the number left is not likely to be high," Kajorn said.

"Some 200 people including police, provincial officials and rescue workers are trying to find about 10 missing people," he said.

Sinchai Rongdej, hospital director at Yantakhao district where the waterfalls are located, said earlier that the majority of the victims were Thai.

The dead included 17 women, three men, 11 boys and six girls and Sinchai said they were killed when the powerful water knocked them over.

"More than 90 percent of the dead were hit by rocks after they fell in the force of the flash flood," he added. "Almost all of them had wounds on their heads and their faces."

About 29 people were injured in the flood, the health ministry said. Some distraught relatives gathered at Yantakhao Hospital, where authorities posted lists of the dead, while others preferred to wait in hope at the scene of the tragedy.
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