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Soldiers slogged through deep mud in northern Thailand on Thursday as they searched for bodies after flash floods killed more than 100 people.

The flooding, said to be the country's worst in 60 years, was caused by unusually heavy rains falling on deforested hills beginning late last week.

The worst hit province was Uttaradit, 500 km north of Bangkok, where 330 millimetres of rain fell in a 24-hour period.

Mudslides and flash floods inundated towns, destroyed houses and cut roads. Access to remote communities was made difficult because debris was making many roads impassable.

People have been stranded in their homes, on trains or in open country.


Officials have released conflicting reports about how many people are dead or missing in the floods. Some estimates put the death toll above 100, and say more than 300 are missing.

The Public Health Ministry reported more than 250 people had been injured in landslides.

More than 1,000 soldiers joined the search and rescue effort on Thursday, as water levels began to recede amid a temporary abatement of rain. The searchers were using helicopters in the air and dogs on the ground.

More rain is expected in coming days, bringing fears of more floods and landslides.

The heavy rains, brought on by an earlier and more intense monsoon than usual, had their impact intensified because the hills have been stripped of trees by illegal logging.

Instead of heavy jungle cover to hold the soil together, orchards covered the hills, and couldn't withstand the deluge.

The military was trying to get food, fresh water and other supplies to tens of thousands of people affected. Some remote areas could only be reached by foot or by air.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/05/25/thailand-flooding.html?ref=rss