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Monday, November 7, 2011

Death toll from Thailand floods passes 500

Via The Telegraph :

" The death toll from Thailand's worst floods in half a century climbed past 500 on Sunday, as advancing pools of polluted black water threatened Bangkok's subway system and new evacuations were ordered in the sprawling capital.

The latest district added to the government's evacuation list was Chatuchak, home to major public park and an outdoor shopping zone that is a major tourist attraction. The Chatuchak Weekend Market was open but missing many vendors and customers on Sunday as floodwaters poured past the market's eastern edge for a second day.

So far, Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra has ordered evacuations in 11 of Bangkok's 50 districts, and partial evacuations apply in seven more.

The evacuations are not mandatory, and most people are staying to protect homes and businesses. But the orders illustrate how far flooding has progressed into the city and how powerless the government has been to stop it.

Chatuchak is just a few miles (kilometres) north of Bangkok's central business district, which still is dry. On Sunday, cars sloshed through a flooded road underneath Chatuchak's Mo Chit Skytrain station, the northernmost stop on Bangkok's elevated train system.

Floodwaters also reached roads at three subway stops in northern Bangkok, though both mass transit networks are functioning normally."

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