ABC News
Cars and houses submerged in floodwaters in Songkhla province, southern Thailand. (AP: Arnun Chonmahatrakool)
Floods have swept through Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, leaving more than 50 people dead in some of the worst flooding to hit South-East Asia in years.
In Thailand the death toll has climbed to 33, while in Indonesia at least 23 people were killed and more than 20 were missing, according to officials.
At least one person has died in Malaysia.
“There have been 33 deaths across seven provinces,” Thai government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said in Bangkok.
Three days of torrential rain that started last week dumped record volumes on Hat Yai, Thailand’s southern commercial hub, flooding hospitals and stranding thousands on rooftops.
The city received 335 mm of rain last Friday — its highest in a single day for 300 years.
The Thai military has mobilised about 200 boats, 20 helicopters and its lone aircraft carrier to deliver critical supplies such as oxygen tanks, and to evacuate the sick.
Thai authorities said they had received appeals for help from around 77,000 people via social media.
Floods have affected more than 980,000 homes and over 2.7 million people in Thailand, the interior ministry said.
The weather system had moved towards the Strait of Malacca and intensified into a tropical cyclone moving towards Indonesia, the Thai Meteorological Department said.
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