Around 2,000 critically ill patients, staff and family are set to be airlifted from Hat Yai Hospital, in southern Thailand after being marooned by recent flooding on Friday (21 November) that killed at least 33 people.
Flooding has swept through nine provinces in Thailand for a second straight year, forcing nearly 45,000 people to flee their homes.
In Hat Yai, the hardest-hit city, authorities say helicopters will remove all intensive-care patients from the main government hospital, where floodwaters have inundated the first floor. The facility is treating 600 patients, including about 50 in critical condition.
Efforts to reach stranded residents have been hampered, with 20 helicopters and 200 boats struggling against deep, fast-moving waters, government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said.
Around 2,000 people — patients, staff and relatives — remain at the hospital. As waters begin to recede, boats should soon be able to bring in food supplies, according to Somrerk.
Hat Yai received 335 mm (13 inches) of rain on a single day last week — the heaviest in 300 years.
Military helicopters are delivering generators, according to the Thai Navy, which shared images of equipment lifted to the hospital rooftop under dark skies.
After Thai military assumed command of the relief operation on Tuesday, military helicopters began delivering generators, while convoys of trucks transported flat-bottomed boats, rubber dinghies, medical supplies and personnel to Hat Yai.
The country's sole aircraft carrier, Chakri Naruebet, departed its home port the same day to deliver air support, medical aid and food for the rescue effort, the Thai navy reported.
Nationwide, more than 980,000 homes and 2.7 million people have been affected across nine southern provinces, including Songkhla, the interior ministry said.
Weather experts expect scattered thundershowers and heavy rain to continue on Wednesday in several southern regions.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, between 8 and 13 people are feared dead after severe floods and landslides this week, while one death has been confirmed in Malaysia.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions...
Kazakhstan and Germany have agreed to expand cooperation in critical minerals, industry, energy and transport, with Astana seeking a greater German...
Global cholera deaths reached their highest annual level in more than 20 years in 2025, despite a decline in reported cases, according to the World...
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
The European Union's decision to simultaneously advance accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania marks its most ambitious enlargement effort in more than two decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared that Brexit has done more harm than good, while reaffirming support for Ukraine and NATO as he used his first Labour conference speech as leader to set out a new direction for Britain.
The arrival in South Korea of two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia has created a rare legal, diplomatic and humanitarian case, raising questions over their status, security and future.
At midnight on 30 September, the last U.S. troops are due to leave Iraq, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion and cost the lives of around 4,500 American service members.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 29 September 2026, with the latest from Azerbaijan, from $10.8 billion in investment deals and Formula 1 drama to diplomacy and preparations for major FIFA tournaments.
Crude oil exports from major Middle Eastern producers rebounded in September to their highest level since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment