224 Dead Since July In Thailand As Worst Monsoon Floods In Decades Swamp Ayutthuya

[hatrack]

BANGKOK (Reuters) - At least 224 people have died in flooding in Thailand since mid-July and water has inundated the 400-year-old Chai Wattanaram temple in the ancient city of Ayutthaya, a World Heritage Site, officials said Tuesday.

The temple is by the Chao Phraya river, which flows down to the capital, Bangkok, around 105 km (65 miles) to the south. "The water level is now up to 1.5 meters and 150 soldiers are deployed in the area to fix the embankment," said Wittaya Pewpong, governor of Ayutthaya province. He said more than 200 of the 500 ancient temples in the province had been affected by floods.

Thailand has been hit by massive flooding caused by a tropical storm followed by seasonal monsoon rains, which usually fall from August to October. Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome put the damage to historical sites around the country at least 100 million baht ($3.2 million).

Flooding has also affected Bangkok, which sits only two meters above sea level. The Chao Phraya river has overflowed into roads in some areas, although the authorities have reinforced its banks to prevent serious flooding.

EDIT

http://news.yahoo.com/thai-floods-kill-224-inundate-world-heritage-075935891.html