Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday declared central Bangkok safe from Thailand’s worst floods in decades, as the death toll around the country approached 600.
“It is certain that the inner zone of Bangkok will be safe from floods because the measures to hold floodwaters have been successful,” Yingluck said.
She was speaking in her weekly radio and television address from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, where she is attending regional summits.
The drainage of floodwaters in the western part of the capital was progressing slowly, she said, but expressed confidence that a key road linking the city to the country’s south would remain open.
“Many feared that Rama II road could be submerged, but it’s unlikely now and if it is inundated it will not be serious,” she said.
The Thai Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said in its daily update yesterday that 595 people had been killed in the floods and two remain unaccounted for.
Thailand’s worst floods in half a century, triggered by months of unusually heavy monsoon rains, are still affecting 18 provinces, including Bangkok, and 5.4 million people.
Many areas in the north and west of the capital are still under water and full or partial evacuation orders are in force in 24 of the city’s 50 districts.
Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra joined 1,000 volunteers working to clear up a major road junction in the city’s north yesterday after the waters receded, and vowed to clean up the whole city by the end of the year.
Yingluck said she had thanked regional leaders at the ASEAN summit in Bali this week for their help during the crisis.
On Wednesday, the US announced more than US$10 million in aid to help Thailand recover.
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