Death toll from flooding in Thailand climbs to 24

By Pizaro Gozali Idrus

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - The death toll from flooding in southern Thailand has risen to 24, local media reported, citing authorities.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said flooding has claimed three more lives, with a woman drowning in Phrasaeng district of Surat Thani, and two women drowning in Sathing Phra district of Songkhla on Sunday, according to Bangkok Post.

The region has been pounded by rain brought by the southern monsoon over the Gulf of Thailand since Nov. 25, it said.

The deluge has resulted in residents of more than 555,000 houses being flooded out, with Nakhon Si Thammarat being the hardest-hit province with 19 deaths and 180,000 houses swamped, according to the report.

The disaster department said while the situation was eased, more flooding was reported in Surat Thani, Trang and Songkhla, even as water levels in other provinces were slowly subsiding.

According to weather forecast, there would be less rain along the Gulf coast on Monday, but more rain for up to 60% of the area for the rest of the week, the daily added.

*Writing by Rhany Chairunissa Rufinaldo with Anadolu Agency's Indonesian language service in Jakarta