Nearly 4,900 people have been forced from their homes into emergency shelters as flooding sweeps across Bangkok in Thailand, leaving roads submerged and communities struggling to move to safety.
Al Jazeera reports that around 52,000 households have been affected by the flooding, while water levels in Bangkok’s extensive canal network remained high on Sunday as authorities worked to accelerate drainage.
More than 330 millimetres of rain fell in some parts of Bangkok between September 24 and September 27, according to weather officials.
The flooding prompted authorities to declare all 50 districts of Bangkok disaster areas, allowing emergency agencies to respond more rapidly to affected communities.
More than 200 shelters have been established across the city for residents forced to leave flooded homes.
Floodwater has covered roads in several parts of the capital, disrupting traffic and leaving some vehicles stranded or partially submerged.
Residents have been seen wading through muddy water carrying food, drinking water and other belongings as they try to reach safer areas.
Some businesses have closed because of the flooding, while public transport services have also been disrupted in several areas.
Authorities have deployed pumping equipment and emergency teams to remove water from flooded neighbourhoods.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has urged residents in vulnerable areas, particularly communities near canals, to follow official warnings and move to safer locations when necessary.
Thailand’s Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rainfall could continue across Bangkok and surrounding provinces, although conditions were expected to improve as the rain subsides.
The flooding has also affected areas beyond Bangkok, with more than 84,000 people reported affected across 21 provinces as of Saturday.
The latest flooding has revived memories of Thailand’s devastating 2011 floods, although authorities have not indicated that the current disaster will reach the same scale.
For residents whose homes have been inundated, the immediate priorities remain evacuation, access to food and drinking water, medical assistance and the removal of floodwater.
Authorities are continuing to monitor canals and drainage systems as further rain could worsen conditions in vulnerable parts of the capital.
The situation remains developing as emergency crews work to drain flooded areas and assist displaced residents.
