Over 1,000 people sick from contaminated water in Thailand

More than 1,000 people in Thailand 's two southern provinces of Chumphon and Prachuap Khiri Khan have fallen sick because of contaminated water brought by floods, and 10,000 others adversely affected, local media said Wednesday.

Seven out of eight districts have been hit by flooding, and more than 32 square kilometers of farmland and plantations across four districts have been damaged, chief of the provincial relief- operations center Thanakorn Trabanphruek said. He put the cost at 200 million bhats (5 million US dollars).

Around 1,000 people have sought hospital treatment for diseases brought by floods but none were in serious condition, Thai newspaper the Nation reported.

Drinking water is badly needed as a total of 85 wells in Lang Suan, Lamae and Thung Tako districts have been contaminated by floodwater.

Four districts in Chumphon are still heavily inundated while the situation elsewhere is improving, said Anucha Mokekhawes, director-general of the Department of Public Disaster Prevention and Relief.

A total of 10,485 people in 3,149 households in both provinces plus Surat Thani, just south of Chumphon, have been affected.

The three provinces were heavily flooded after torrential rains late last week.

Major roads in many districts are still unusable, especially those in urban areas in the popular seaside resort district of Hua Hin.

Source: Xinhua