Students, monks help out as floodwaters rise in Lampang

Floodwaters in Ban Nong Sang village in Lampang have reached depths of 50 centimetres to 2 metres since the Wang River overflowed, prompting volunteers to urgently rescue pets trapped by the rising water.
Student volunteers from Srisoontornsrilawisut school and monks from Pa Thoen Buri temple on Saturday distributed necessities and helped residents to move their belongings as floodwaters invaded their village in tambon Thoen Buri of Thoen district.
Forest runoff together with the overflowing river had worsened conditions, with some areas submerged by more than 2m.
Residents fear more trouble to come with the release of water from two major upstream dams. The river has been swollen by releases from the dams as well as continuous rainfall.
Some volunteers shifted some of their efforts to rescuing pets after villagers reached out for help.
Srisoontornsrilawisut school administrator Padungkriat Suksamran said that over 50 secondary school students came together to help their community. Teachers and staff were monitoring safety conditions to protect the young volunteers, he said.
The overflowing Wang River has flooded three tambons of Thoen, affecting more than 1,200 households across 30 villages.