THAI FLOODS SHUT TOYOTA PLANTS AS TOLL RISES TO 40

BANGKOK: Floods in Thailand have caused the temporary shutdown of four Toyota plants and suspension of cargo operations of flag carrier Thai Airways, the companies said on Wednesday, as the country braces for more heavy rain next week. Flag carrier Thai Airways suspended inbound and outbound cargo operations from Wednesday through to October 6, with many employees unable to travel to work.
Thailand's weather agency forecast heavy rain from October 5 to 8, with increased rainfall expected in the northeast and north. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that Bangkok, its metropolitan area and Thailand's central region were still at risk from floodwaters flowing in from the north, and said a war room has been set up to monitor the situation.
Government spokesperson Ekkapob Pianpises put the death toll at 40, citing Health Ministry figures. In Ratchaburi, about 80 km (50 miles) west of Bangkok, riverside communities were flooded and evacuations were under way, with six other provinces put on high alert, the Office of the National Water Resources said. Authorities were draining Bangkok's floodwater into canals and aimed to return conditions to normal within two or three days, Ekkapob said. — Reuters