Three boys rescued as flooding continues in Lom Sak

Three boys, who had been swept away by floodwaters and became stranded in a tree in the middle of a rice field, were rescued today in Phetchabun’s Lom Sak district. The boys, visibly shocked and frightened, have now been reunited with their parents.

Initial inquiries found that the group initially consisted of four boys, who had walked from their homes to see the flooding in Lom Sak municipality. On their way back to Ban Naluang, they took a shortcut across a rice field, behind the Sirin Christian School.

Unaware of a canal in the area, they were swept hundreds of meters away by the current, until all four managed to grab on to the branches of a tree.

One boy decided to leave the tree to seek help from villagers, who then alerted rescuers. A rescue boat was dispatched.

Phetchabun, particularly Lom Sak district, is experiencing the worst flooding in 14 years.

The current level of inundation remains of serious concern after the Pasak River overflowed into Lom Sak municipality yesterday morning.

More than 17,000 residents in Lom Sak alone have been affected. Residents of Phetchabun municipality living along the Pasak River have been advised to move their belongings to higher ground.

Governor Saran Yu Meethongkham said that, if there is no additional rainfall, the situation should return to normal within one or two days.

According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, tropical storm Nongfa caused flash floods, runoffs, mudslides and river overflows across five districts, 23 sub-districts, 112 villages, one municipality and one community in the province.

At Sri Chan Weir, in Tha I Bun sub-district, the water level has dropped to less than 30cm above the crest, with nearby Tha I Bun and Sak Long areas gradually returning to normal, though still on a yellow alert.

Meanwhile, low-lying areas in Tal Diao, Nong Khwai and Pak Duk sub-districts remain inundated, with many houses under water.

At 11am., residents downstream, particularly in Pak Duk, Lan Ba and Huai Rai sub-districts, were advised to move their children, elderly, the sick and their belongings to higher ground immediately.