Landslides kill three amid heavy rain in northern Thailand

Landslides and flash floods caused by the tail end of Typhoon Yag have killed at least two children and a young woman in northern Thailand.

Torrential rains triggered two mudslides that buried villagers in Chiang Mai province on September 10.

The Public Relations Department Region 3 said a further four people were missing and two were injured.

In an update on September 11, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said three bodies, including a boy and a girl, were found buried under waterlogged debris. More are feared dead from the catastrophic flooding.

The first landslide hit the Ban Doi Laem community and killed a woman Kayarat Pafu, 23. The second hit the Ban Lai Ai community, injuring two men who were sent to the Mae Ai Hospital.

Kritsayam Kongsatri, director of the Protected Areas Regional Office 16, said the search for missing locals was temporarily stopped amid landslide fears.

Communication was also hindered by poor mobile signal and electrical outages.

He said: 'Officers will resume the search for the missing persons once the situation improves. They will coordinate with all relevant agencies to expedite assistance to the affected families as much as possible.'

Chiang Mai has been battered by continuous heavy rain since September 8 due to the effects of Typhoon Yagi.

Yagi, said to be Asia's most powerful storm this year, was downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday morning, September 8. It killed at least 15 people in the Philippines before slamming into southern China and Vietnam, where it left at least 49 dead and 22 missing.

Thailand and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia are in their annual monsoon rainy season which sees soaring temperatures followed by powerful rain storms in the afternoon leading to widespread flash floods.