Flood victims rescued after speeding five hours clinging to submerged tree

Flood victims rescued after speeding five hours clinging to submerged tree

Two flood victims were rescued after spending FIVE hours clinging to a tree branch during deadly tropical storm Sinlaku.

The locals were dragged away by the muddy torrents that battered their village Lampang province, northern Thailand on yesterday (August 3).

While some residents were rescued or clambered to higher ground, the men were left in the submerged roads.

Locals heard them shortly before nightfall calling for help and summoned rescue volunteers for help.

The team prepared a long cable attached to each tree and spent two hours rescuing the stricken men.

They were dragged to safety and welcomed by relieved neighbours.

One of the men said: "We were drowning in the flash floods that suddenly hit the village.

We paddled in the water when we caught hold of the big branches.

Holding onto them saved our lives.'' Storm Sinlaku smashed into large parts of northern Thailand, Vietnam and Laos causing severe floods on Sunday (Aug 2).

The strong wind and heavy rain later moved into Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Officials in Thailand said that two people had died after torrents of muddy water hit homes in Loei, Chiang Mai, Phayao and other northern provinces on Sunday.

Two others were killed in Vietnam.

The Thai Meteorological Department put heavy rain and flash-flood warnings in force until Tuesday, with rain expected throughout the week.

Sinlaku also hit Laos and Vietnam, where it killed another two people on Sunday in the provinces of Hoa Binh and Quang Ninh.

The Vietnam Disaster Management Authority feared the heavy rains could cause landslides and flash flooding in the country's northern mountainous provinces where up to 400mm of rainfall is predicted.