Thai flood toll climbs to 29

Thai flood toll climbs to 29

BANGKOK (AFP): The death toll from flash floods and landslides that hit northern Thailand last week jumped to 29 on Tuesday, with a dozen others still unaccounted for, officials said.

Nearly 8,000 people have been evacuated from Phrae province since flooding caused by monsoon rains hit in the early hours of Friday, sweeping away hundreds of simple homes.

The Civil Defense Department statement said in a statement that the toll had risen to 29, including one person in neighboring Sukhothai province. Another 58 people were injured in the disaster.

Phrae governor Anukul Kunawong has blamed the floods in Wang Chin district on excessive logging that has destroyed forests in the area.