BANGKOK: Flash floods caused by heavy monsoon rains in Thailand have killed 22 people in recent days, disaster officials said on Monday, as they warned of further sudden flooding this week.
Nineteen others were injured and more than 30,000 households have been affected in 13 provinces across north and south over the past 10 days, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said in statement.
Among the deaths were 10 people, including tourists, who were killed when a landslide slammed into a residential area on Thailand's popular resort island of Phuket last week.
The department also said some 31 provinces in the kingdom's north and northeast face possible flash floods until Thursday.
"The department has ordered local authorities to monitor the weather closely... and put teams and equipment on stand by," a statement said.
"People should also follow the weather forecast and take warnings seriously," it added.
Three workers, including two Chinese nationals and one person from Myanmar, were also missing Monday after soil fell into a high-speed train tunnel under construction in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima.
While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, man-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely. -- AFP