Songkhla flood chaos

Untold numbers of flood victims in Songkhla province have been stranded in their flood-hit homes waiting for evacuation since the weekend.

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The Anutin government yesterday opened its “war room” to command flood management and rescue operations four days after severe flooding hit the province.

Meanwhile, journalists remain perplexed by the unclear duties and chain of command. There’s a lot of confusion.

Is the war room to be led by Deputy PM and Agriculture Minister Capt Thamanat Prompow, who was appointed on Monday to head the Centre of Water Management during natural disasters?

Or will the chief be Gen Ukrit Boontanont, head of the Defence Forces? (The cabinet appointed Gen Ukrit yesterday to head a centre to handle flood rescue operations in Songkhla.)

Make no mistake, confusion and management issues are inevitable in any disaster management. But what is happening in Songkhla shows the institutional failure at fundamental levels and a lack of preparedness.