Thailand Airlifts Critical Patients as Southern Floods Claim 33 Lives and Displace Millions

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Thailand is escalating its rescue efforts in the face of catastrophic floods, which have killed at least 33 people and left millions displaced. In a desperate bid to save critically-ill patients, authorities plan to airlift them from a flooded hospital in Hat Yai, the region's hardest-hit city. The hospital, which was inundated after receiving a record 335mm of rain, is home to 600 patients, with 50 in intensive care. As the situation worsens, with more rain forecast in the coming days, the Thai military has taken charge of relief efforts, deploying 20 helicopters and 200 boats to reach stranded people. The aircraft carrier, Chakri Naruebet, has also been dispatched to provide air support, medical assistance, and meals. The floods, which have affected over 2.7 million people and damaged more than 980,000 homes, have prompted a massive evacuation effort, with nearly 45,000 people relocated in Thailand and Malaysia. In Indonesia, an estimated 8-13 people have lost their lives in floods and landslides. As the people of Hat Yai struggle to survive, their pleas for help are echoing across social media. 'Please help. I'm very worried about my mother,' wrote one desperate individual, adding that she had been unable to contact her 53-year-old mother since Saturday. The Thai government has vowed to do everything in its power to aid those affected by the disaster, with helicopters scheduled to deliver food and ferry out patients from the flooded hospital on Wednesday. The rescue efforts are expected to be a long and arduous process, but authorities are determined to save as many lives as possible.