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Thailand’s capital Bangkok has declared an emergency disaster situation across the city as flooding worsened following more than 300mm (12 inches) of rain since Thursday, inundating roads in several areas, the BBC reported.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said on Sunday that rainfall had eased somewhat, but water levels in the city’s canals remained dangerously high. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt warned that the flooding was not yet over.
Heavy thunderstorms are common in Thailand at this time of year, but the unusually intense rainfall in recent days has overwhelmed Bangkok’s drainage system, causing major disruption across the traffic-congested city.
Some residents said the situation appeared worse than the devastating 2011 floods, which affected Bangkok and lasted for nearly three months, killing hundreds of people across Thailand. No deaths or casualties have so far been reported in Bangkok in the latest flooding.
The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rain throughout the week. However, the low-pressure system blamed for the recent downpours is expected to move towards central Thailand.
All 50 districts of Bangkok have been placed under the emergency situation.
The governor said the eastern parts of the city were the worst affected, adding that authorities were pumping out water but the canals were already full.
“People living near the canals are most at risk,” he said.
