BANGKOK, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- A major dam in central Thailand's Phetchaburi province is expected to overflow at Wednesday noon, triggering a fresh flood, officials said on Tuesday.
The Kaeng Krachan dam is currently holding 777 million cubic metres of water or 109 percent of its full capacity, the highest level in 10 year, and discharging water at the rate of 286 cubic metres per second.
The spillover is expected to overflow the Phetchaburi river banks to flood Phetchaburi town by noon on Wednesday, provincial irrigation project director Sant Jorncharoen told a press conference on Tuesday.
He said the spillway of the dam saw running water of 1.44 meters high on Tuesday morning. Irrigation departments estimated that the town would be flooded for five to seven days before subsiding, with floodwater of 10 to 20 cm deep.
Provincial authorities have been asked to speed up drainage downstream rivers as nearly 50 resort hotel near rivers were submerged.
Eight other provinces - Bueng Kan, Sakhon Nakhon, Chanthaburi, Trat, Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Satun, were warned of more fresh floods as they face varying levels of risk as heavy rains continued.
