Hat yai: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Thammanat Prompao has initiated urgent measures to evacuate at-risk groups from flood-affected areas in Hat Yai District, deploying helicopters, boats, and jet skis to assist in the evacuation of vulnerable individuals. Additional oxygen tanks have been dispatched to Hat Yai Hospital to aid critically ill patients.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat, acting as the Director of the Center for Water Management in Natural Disasters, has called upon all sectors of the government to collaborate in evacuating vulnerable populations, particularly focusing on the sick, elderly, and young children. He expressed concerns for those stranded in areas with challenging water conditions and oversaw the evacuation of over 500 people from Lotus's Hat Yai Nai to a designated evacuation center.
A primary shelter has been set up at Hat Yai Ratchaprachasan School with a capacity to house over 3,000 individuals. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation is actively involved in distributing clothing and essential supplies to those affected.
Thammanat has taken charge by establishing a central command center in Hat Yai, dividing operations into two zones based on a railway line. The western zone is managed by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, along with the Ministries of Agriculture and Tourism and Sports. The eastern zone is overseen by the Fourth Army Region Commander, with support from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and police.
The immediate priority is the transport of critically ill patients and vulnerable groups, using helicopters due to impassable roads. Last night, a shortage of oxygen tanks at Hat Yai Hospital prompted the deployment of a Royal Rainmaking Plane to deliver tanks from Bangkok, ensuring continued care for patients, including those requiring dialysis.
Thammanat stressed the collaborative efforts of government agencies, volunteers, and local citizens in the rescue operations, highlighting the role of volunteers using jet skis and personal watercraft. For water management, all water gates are being opened to facilitate drainage through the U-Tapao Canal and Phuminat Damri Canal into the Gulf of Thailand, allowing a discharge of approximately 1,700 cubic meters per second. Water levels have started to recede, but continuous rain remains a concern.
"If the rain doesn't increase, we'll have the situation under control within three days. However, it's been raining continuously since this morning, so we need to monitor it closely," said Thammanat.