Floods kill 14 people and sicken about 53,000

Heavy downpours in northern and northeastern Thailand at the height of the rainy season caused the rivers to swell and the floods in Thailand have been creating havoc over the 36 provinces of Thailand for over past nine days now. The angry waters have killed 14 people and more than 53,000 people have been sickened by after contracting waterborne ailments after wading through floodwaters.

The Ministry of Public Health has warned the residents that floodwaters are full of parasitic leeches, human waste and bacteria that can cause skin infections and fungus.

The ministry said 53,946 people were sickened, with 35 percent suffering from skin funguses and 27 percent from cold and respiratory problems. Others suffered from diarrhea.

“We urge that people travel through flooded areas by boat or wear long pants tied at the feet with plastic bags if they must wade through flood water,” Prat Boonyawongwiroj, permanent secretary for public health, said in a statement.