. | . |
|
. |
by Staff Writers Bangkok (AFP) Sept 30, 2011 Thailand deployed about 10,000 soldiers on Friday to help victims of floods that have killed 188 people and left vast swathes of the country under water. Backed by 500 military vehicles and more than 100 boats equipped with loud speakers and flashlights, the troops will patrol flood-stricken areas to ensure people's safety, the army chief said. "The military is ready to ease the plight of the people so please support the soldiers," General Prayut Chan-O-Cha told reporters before leaving Bangkok to inspect one of the 23 waterlogged provinces. He said that army had also dispatched 12 medical teams to offer first-aid and psychological treatment. The deployment came after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose older brother Thaksin was ousted from office by royalist generals in 2006, ordered the military to take action to assist flood victims. She also instructed her cabinet ministers to stay overnight in flood-hit provinces to gather first-hand information about the situation. The floods have damaged the homes or livelihoods of 1.9 million Thais, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. The northern city of Chiang Mai, a popular tourist destination, has been inundated and the authorities are battling to stop the floods reaching central Bangkok. Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
|
. |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2011 - Space Media Network. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement |