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Evacuees warned not to go home until safety assured

Evacuees warned not to go home until safety assured

Bangkok Post2 days ago
More than 180,000 Thai civilians evacuated to shelters in seven provinces have been warned not to return to their homes near the Cambodian border before receiving official notice assuring them of their safety.
Interior permanent secretary Unsit Sampuntharat said on Tuesday a total of 188,734 evacuees were reported now staying in the 770 shelters spread over seven border provinces:
In Si Sa Ket: 82,021 people in 435 shelters
In Surin: 55,898 people in 130 shelters
In Buri Ram: 24,480 people in 112 shelters
In Ubon Ratchathani: 21,838 people in 68 shelters
In Sa Kaeo: 2,656 people in 13 shelters
In Trat: 1,621 people in eight shelters
In Chanthaburi: 224 people in four shelters
Acting Prime Minister and Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has ordered provincial governors to keep people informed of the situation and advise evacuees to stay at the shelters until the government confirms it is safe for them to go back to their homes, Mr Unsit said.
The ministry was ensuring they have sufficient food, drinking water and other essentials in the meantime. Donation centres opened in other provinces were coordinating their activities, Mr Unsit said.
'Once there is confirmation from the security bureau that it is safe, the government will promptly coordinate their return home,' he said.
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