Flash floods, landslides cut off Mae Hong Son districts

Torrential rain triggered severe flash floods and landslides across Mae Sariang and Sop Moei districts of Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province on Friday evening, temporarily blocking major roads and forcing teachers to evacuate students across a raging creek.

The province is Thailand's most mountainous, sparsely populated province, located in the far northwest bordering Myanmar.

The deluge caused the Khia Creek to swell rapidly, cutting off the route between Ban Huay Pho Mai in Mae Sariang district and Ban Mae Thalu in Sop Moei district.

A school bus taking children home was trapped by the rising waters. In a dramatic rescue, teachers from Ban Huay Pho Mai School led the students on foot through the fierce currents of the creek to hand them over safely to their waiting parents on the other side.

The deluge also played havoc with local infrastructure. On Highway 1194 (Mae Sariang-Mae Sam Laeb), roughly three kilometres from Ban Huay Pho, a mudslide and boulders closed the road to traffic.

By Saturday morning, water levels had receded. Relevant officials cleared a single lane to allow stranded vehicles, including several articulated lorries trapped overnight, to pass.

Meanwhile, in Sop Moei district, flash floods inundated a long stretch of Highway 105 (Sop Moei-Mae Sot). Authorities reported that the deluge was short-lived though and the floodwaters had drained by 6pm Friday, allowing all types of vehicles to resume travel.

With cumulative rainfall still high, provincial authorities have urged motorists travelling through Mae Sariang and Sop Moei to check road conditions before setting off.

Drivers have been advised to exercise the utmost caution, particularly when passing areas prone to landslides and flash floods.