Incessant rains, floods wreak havoc in China, Thailand, Bangladesh

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - Heavy rains and floods hit large swaths in China, Thailand, and Bangladesh, inundating roads, destroying crops, disrupting rail service and flights, and marooning tens of thousands of people, according to local media reports on Thursday.

Incessant rains that led to rise in water levels in rivers have inundated vast tracts of lands in at least eight districts of Bangladesh, forcing thousands to run for safety, The Daily Star reported.

Widespread flooding in the eight districts, with Feni and Noakhali the worst-hit, has killed at least three people and left over 1.8 million people stranded.

In Feni, Parshuram, Fulgazi, and Chhagalnaiya districts, several have been submerged due to rise in the water level of the Chhota Feni River.

Large parts of the affected districts have been left without electricity.

Bangladesh's transitional government information adviser Nahid Islam on Thursday alleged that neighboring India was showing "inhumanity” by releasing water from the river in India without prior notice to Dhaka, which has caused serious flooding in Bangladesh.

He urged New Delhi to stop “anti-people policy” toward Bangladesh.

Bangladesh and India share the waters of at least 54 rivers, with the upstream portions of these rivers located in India.

New Delhi, however, denied it released waters from dams.

"The flood in Bangladesh is primarily due to waters from these large catchments downstream of the dam," said Indian Foreign Ministry, adding that catchment areas of Gumti river have witnessed heaviest rains of this year over the last few days.

In Thailand, border patrol police have been deployed to assist with evacuation efforts in the country’s flood-stricken northern region.

Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai convened an urgent meeting as the country’s northern provinces are grappling with widespread flooding, Thai News Agency reported on Thursday.

The meeting discussed strategies for managing the crisis in six severely affected provinces.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, in a post on X, said she has been closely monitoring the flood situation in the northern region, particularly in Nan, Chiang Rai, and Phayao, with “deep” concern for the residents affected.

“The situation remains critical, with many areas still inundated and flash floods continuing to pose a threat,” said Police Lt. Gen. Yongkiat Monpraneet.

The Meteorological Department has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in the northern region, particularly in the provinces of Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, and Nan.

In China, heavy rains and floods disrupted rail service and flights in the economic powerhouse of Guangdong province, as authorities evacuated thousands of people to safe places, state-run media said on Thursday.

Heavy rain hit dozens of townships and sub-districts after the region recorded over 100 millimeters (3.93 inches) of rain.

The downpour forced the authorities to suspend train service between Guangzhou and Shenzhen, while 55 flights were delayed for more than an hour at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport.

Local authorities evacuated over 86,000 people from several townships to safe places as a preventive measure.

Widespread downpours have also lashed the city of Huludao in southwestern Liaoning province, trapping some rural residents.

The worst affected area is the township of Heishanke, where heavy rains have cut off several roads and collapsed bridges.

*SM Najmus Sakib in Dhaka and Ahmad Adil in New Delhi contributed to this report