AlQa'dah 24, 1432, Oct 22, 2011, SPA - Thailand's Prime Minister Saturday warned people in parts of Bangkok to expect floods as water from northern provinces had nearly reached the capital. Yingluck Shinawatra called the flooding a "national crisis" and called on citizens to unite and help each other. One-third of the country's provinces are at least partly underwater, according to a report of the German Press Agency "DPA". She said Bangkok residents should move their belongings upstairs or to other safe locations over the weekend, adding it would take about a month for the floodwaters to drain out of the capital. Expressways would remain open and the government would protect the city's drinking water system, power plants and important buildings, she said. Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said Friday that flood waters had started flowing into some northern neighborhoods. Flooding has swept through northern Thailand for two months, leaving 342 people dead and two missing. More than 2.4 million people have been affected, the National Disaster Prevention Centre said Friday. The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority used nearly 700,000 sandbags as of Thursday and had requested another 2.4 million. More than 40 of Thailand's 78 provinces have suffered damage, including seven flooded industrial estates that employed nearly 400,000 workers.
