THE OFFICIAL DEATH TOLL OF THIS WEEK'S FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES IN NORTHERN THAILAND REACHED 62 ON FRIDAY, WITH ANOTHER 53 LISTED AS MISSING AND PRESUMED DEAD, THE GOVERNMENT'S DISASTER RELIEF AGENCY SAID. HEAVY RAINS THAT STARTED SUNDAY TRIGGERED FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES IN FIVE NORTHERN PROVINCES OF LAMPHANG, NAN, PHRAE, SUKHOTHAI AND UTTARADIT. IT IS BEING DESCRIBED AS THE WORST MONSOON-WROUGHT DISASTER IN THE AREA IN SIX DECADES, ACCORDING TO DPA. AS OF LATE FRIDAY, ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL FIGURES GIVEN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DISASTER PREVENTION, THE CALAMITY HAD KILLED 62 AND LEFT 53 MISSING AND FEARED DEAD UNDER PILES OF MUD, LOGS AND DEBRIS. UTTARADIT WAS BY FAR THE HARDEST HIT PROVINCE, ACCOUNTING FOR 52 OF THE DEAD. EMERGENCY RELIEF WORKERS AND 1,000 PERSONNEL FROM THAILAND'S ARMY, NAVY AND AIRFORCE HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO PROVIDE AID AND SEARCH FOR THE MISSING IN THE DISASTER ZONE ON THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THAI KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ. THE CATASTROPHE HAS AFFECTED SOME 121,380 PEOPLE IN THE FIVE PROVINCES, DESTROYED 490 HOUSES AND WASHED AWAY 80 ROADS, AUTHORITIES SAID. OBSERVERS BLAMED THE CATASTROPHE ON DEFORESTATION, GLOBAL WARMING AND, MORE PROSAICALLY, UNUSUALLY BAD WEATHER. THE UNUSUALLY HEAVY RAINS CAUSED RIVERS AND RESERVOIRS TO OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS.
