A dramatic rescue of a family trapped inside their home—flooded all the way up to the roof—in a region of Thailand was captured from the air by a television network.
According to local broadcaster Thai PBS, the five-member family, unable to escape through the inundated streets as the water level continued to rise, broke through part of their roof in order to seek refuge at a higher level.
From the “safety” of the roof tiles, they began waving clothes and shouting for help until rescue crews passing by in boats spotted them and rushed to their aid.
The rooftop rescue operation was filmed by a Thai PBS team flying a drone to survey the flood damage in the city of Hat Yai, in Songkhla province.
The severe flooding, following a week of intense rainfall, has caused the deaths of at least 33 people in Thailand and two more in neighboring Malaysia.
In recent days, tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in evacuation centers.
“It’s a race against time,” government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat told Nation TV, adding that rescue teams have deployed drones to deliver food packages to those trapped by the floodwaters.
