Maha Sarakham, Maha Sarakham Province, continuous rain, Huai Chiang Kham Reservoir bursts, flooding 3 sub-districts in Borabue District, huge mass of water overflows, causing severe damage to rice fields at the end of the reservoir.
At 5:30 p.m. yesterday (July 16), Huai Chiang Kham Reservoir in Ban Bo Lum, Tambon Non Rasi, Amphoe Borabue, Maha Sarakham Province, burst due to heavy rain on July 15, totaling 145.5 millimeters, causing more than 3 million cubic meters of water to flow into the reservoir, exceeding its capacity of 5.8 million cubic meters, or 116% of capacity. As a result, the reservoir burst, measuring 20 meters wide, and water overflowing into houses and agricultural areas, damaging an area of ??more than 3,000 rai. People living in areas downstream of the reservoir had to evacuate immediately.
The physical characteristics of Huai Chiang Kham reservoir are clay embankments and there is a road around the reservoir. Villagers can travel on the road to travel to and from each village. Villager
s living nearby said that 15 rai of rice fields were completely flooded. The water level rose very quickly. They had never encountered an event like this before. A neighbor’s rice field of 30 rai was also completely flooded.
The Royal Irrigation Department has informed residents in 3 sub-districts under the Huai Chiang Kham reservoir along the Huai Chiang Kham River, Non Rasi Sub-district, Kamphi Sub-district, and Nong Muang Sub-district, Borabue District, Maha Sarakham Province, to move belongings to higher ground and evacuate pets from the flooded areas.
Last night (July 17), Mr. Cholsak Sukhi, the Maha Sarakham Provincial Irrigation Officer, revealed that he brought in machinery and big bags, along with nets filled with rocks and gabion boxes, to block the water at the point where the water overflowed, in order to prevent it from spreading any wider. He was able to control the situation to some extent. The water level has dropped to its lowest point. It is expected that there will be no more water flowin
g out of the reservoir this morning.
While officials were helping the affected villagers, it was reported that a rescue boat capsized while evacuating people at the end of Huai Chiang Kham Reservoir, causing both the villagers and the 7 rescuers to cling to trees. Officials are helping everyone to safety. In addition, there were reports that the water swept away a villager’s pickup truck on Kamphi-Liao Yao Road in Borabue District.
The latest report from the Prajim Rescue Page in Borabue District reported that the water situation in the reservoir in Borabue District has improved, but there are still no orders to evacuate people. Most of the water is flowing into the rice fields. The Borabue-Na Chueak Road is passable, the Borabue-Wapi Road is passable, and the Borabue-Na Dun Road is not passable through Ban Kamphi. Use the Wapi or Na Chueak Roads instead.
Source: Thai News Agency
