Central Thailand braces for inundation as rain stops in flooded Chiang Mai

CHIANG MAI, Thailand (AP) — Several provinces in central Thailand braced for floods Sunday after the Irrigation Department announced it was releasing water from a major dam after weeks of frequent heavy rain.

The rain stopped in the northern city of Chiang Mai, but many people, especially the elderly, remained cut off by floodwaters that in some areas were waist-high or more. Volunteer rescue teams, often traveling by boat, worked to supply them with food or evacuate them.

Further complicating the situation, electricity was cut off in some neighborhoods for safety reasons.

Areas popular with tourists, such as the city’s Night Bazaar and Tha Pae Gate, were under as much as a meter (3 1/3 feet) of water.

Central provinces, including the capital Bangkok, have been warned of possible flooding as the Irrigation Department plans to release water from the Chao Phraya Dam to keep it under capacity.

The latest flooding in Chiang Mai began when the Ping River, which runs along the eastern edge of the city, began overrunning its banks on Friday. Flooding is an annual problem in many parts of Thailand during the monsoon season.

Concern remained for animals that had been kept in parks and sanctuaries on the outskirts of Chiang Mai.

Most of the the 125 elephants held at the city’s Elephant Nature Park have been led to safety, though some escaped on their own to seek higher ground.

Photos in Thai media showed elephants in water so deep that they could barely keep their heads above it. Thai media reported that at least two elephants have been found dead and several more were unaccounted for.