Thailand has declared its southern Songkhla province a disaster zone, after heavy rainfall left thousands stranded and at least 13 people dead, according to Thai officials and media reports.Floodwaters were running as high as 2 metres (6.6 feet) in some areas, days after the province’s Hat Yai district received 335mm (13 inches) of rain on Friday, its highest in a single day for three centuries.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Tuesday that 13 people had been killed in the flooding, according to the Bangkok Post.About 150,000 people were stranded by rising floodwaters in Hat Yai, Seree Supratid, the director of the Climate Change and Disaster Centre at Rangsit University and vice president of the National Disaster Warning Council Foundation, wrote in a Facebook update on Wednesday.The Bangkok Post reported on Tuesday that Thailand’s cabinet had declared Songkhla a disaster zone to free up funds for a rapid response to the ongoing disaster, as heavy rains continued to inundate much of the region.Heavy rains have affected nine southern provinces of Thailand, impacting some 2.1 million people, with 13,000 moving to shelters, while many others have also been cut off and unable to receive help, the Reuters news agency reported.Meanwhile, Thailand’s military said it was sending reinforcements to help with disaster efforts on Tuesday, including a C-130 …
