Helicopter drops supplies to residents stranded in Thailand floods

The Royal Thai Air Force dispatched a helicopter to deliver food and water to flood victims trapped inside their houses as northern Thailand suffered from the effects of Typhoon Yagi.

Chief of Defence Forces General Songwit Noonpakdee held a meeting with relevant organisations in Chiang Rai on September 11.

He said that boats could not access several areas to provide food and drink to victims.

Consequently, he dispatched an EC725 helicopter to deliver supplies to victims trapped inside their houses amid the heavy current.

He mentioned that if heavy rain and strong water currents persisted the next day, he would send out another flight to gather information for planning further assistance to residents.

Chiang Rai has been facing flooding since the influence of Typhoon Yagi approached Thailand on September 8, after the storm downgraded, prompting continuous heavy rain.

On September 8, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a weather advisory regarding Typhoon Yagi, forecasting that it would downgrade to an active low-pressure cell.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rains with gusty winds were predicted for the northern and upper northeastern regions.

The strong southwest monsoon prevailing over the upper Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand was also expected to cause isolated heavy rains in the east and along the southern west coast.

People in these areas were advised to be cautious of heavy rainfall and potential flooding, particularly near foothills, waterways, and low-lying areas.