The southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat and parts of Surat Thani in Thailand have been declared disaster areas as flash floods, triggered by heavy downpours, left six dead and vast areas heavily damaged.

Other southern provinces hit hard by the floods include Chumphon, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Satun, and Narathiwat, according to local newspaper The Nation Saturday.

Residents in Nakhon Si Thammarat municipality woke up on Thursday night and scurried for high ground as flood waters rose to a height of 50 cm.

Total damages were initially put at more than 10 million baht ( 2.5 million US dollars), with 42,686 people affected. More than 9, 000 rai (about 1,440 hectares) of farmland were inundated and around 6,000 livestock animals are feared dead.

In Surat Thani, torrential rains have lashed the province for two days, triggering forest run-offs from mountains which submerged seven districts. Floods in some areas rose as high as one meter.

In Hat Yai, Songkhla, waves as high as two to three meters destroyed walkways along Samila beach. Pine trees on the fringe of the beach were uprooted by strong currents.

Meanwhile, the Southern East Coast Meteorological Center warned people in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla of possible flash floods and landslides.

Source: Xinhua