'She couldn't hold on longer': Hat Yai woman puts drowned mother's body in fridge amid flooding

The flooding in Hat Yai, Thailand, was not just a harrowing event for a woman trapped in her home, but also one that ended in tragedy.

Videos uploaded online by a rescue worker captured the aftermath of the persistent flooding for a household in Hat Yai, where a woman had no choice but to store her mother's body inside a refrigerator while waiting for help to arrive.

In one video uploaded on Facebook on Nov 25 (Tuesday), rescue workers can be seen wading through a house with water levels almost reaching the roof and discovering the woman clinging on to the floating fridge. 

"The water rose very high during the night. My mother couldn't hold on any longer," the woman told rescue workers.

Her mother, who was 80 years old, drowned before she could be rescued, reported the Bangkok Post.

The woman put her mother's body in the fridge to prevent it from drifting away.

While the incident occurred on Nov 21, rescue workers arrived at the scene only on Nov 24.

A second video of rescuers moving through the home on a raft showed them rescuing the woman and pulling her out of the floodwaters.

According to Reuters, the death toll in Thailand has reached 33 as of Nov 26.

Singapore embassy arranging for evacuation

The Singapore Embassy in Bangkok is making arrangements to evacuate Singaporeans in Hat Yai, it said in a Facebook post on Nov 27.

Land transportation from Central Hat Yai and Hat Yai International Airport have become possible following improved ground conditions, said the embassy.

As such, the embassy is arranging for vans to evacuate Singaporeans from Central Hat Yai to Hat Yai International Airport.

"We strongly encourage all Singaporeans to make your way to Central Hat Yai if you are able to do so. We reiterate that based on latest updates, there is food, water, and electricity at Central Hat Yai," said the embassy, adding that it will provide live updates as soon as possible.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com