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The death toll from floods across Thailand since mid-September has risen to 23, including four people in Bangkok, where heavy rain caused widespread flooding, the government said Tuesday.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), Thailand's disaster management agency, which provided the breakdown, said about 700,000 people have been affected by flooding in the capital. The number shows how far the disruption reaches in a city of more than 10 million people, where water has entered streets, homes and businesses.
Parts of Bangkok remained waterlogged on Tuesday, three days after city authorities declared a city-wide disaster following almost 48 hours of continuous rain.
Schools remained shut for a second day, and many residents struggled to travel to work as roads and low-lying neighborhoods stayed under water. Almost 7,000 people stayed in more than 230 shelters across the city, according to Bangkok authorities.
In a statement, the DDPM said flooding had hit 29 of Thailand's 77 provinces, meaning more than a third of the country has been affected.
Four people died in Bangkok, eight in Samut Prakan, which lies between the capital and the sea, and six in Sa Kaeo, an eastern province, it said. The remaining deaths were recorded in Chanthaburi, southeast of Bangkok, and in Ayutthaya and Saraburi, two provinces to the north of the capital.
September is the peak of Thailand's rainy season, and seasonal flooding is a regular feature of life in the country. But many Bangkok residents said this year's floods seemed worse than previous ones.
The city is built on former marshlands and is intersected by a network of canals, many of them heavily flooded by the rains. Its low elevation and flat terrain make it especially vulnerable, as water drains slowly toward the Gulf of Thailand.
Pumping stations have been operating at full capacity for days, but Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said Sunday it could take "up to a week" for the waters to fully drain. Authorities have urged residents in affected areas to monitor official updates and follow evacuation guidance where necessary.
Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as global warming accelerates because of fossil fuel emissions.
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