Flood death toll in southern Thailand's Songkhla province rises to 55

The death toll in Thailand's Songkhla province has risen to 55 following severe flooding in the southern region, authorities said on Thursday, warning the number is expected to rise as recovery operations continue.

During a press briefing, government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that data received from Songklanagarind Hospital as of Thursday indicates a total of 85 fatalities in the province, while 55 deaths were directly attributed to the flooding, and the other 30 deaths occurred during the crisis but were due to other causes, Siripong said.

"The number will definitely be higher," he said, noting that a full assessment is currently impossible as rescue teams have yet to access all isolated areas, and exact figures on missing persons remain unavailable as evacuations are still underway.

Water levels are expected to drop below riverbanks by Thursday evening, the spokesperson said, adding that this improvement will facilitate rescue operations and enable the government to begin a massive cleanup operation.

xinhua