One dead as Thailand’s tropical storm Pabuk prompts flash flood warnings

One person has died as the first tropical storm to hit Thailand in three decades battered its southern coast on Friday, uprooting trees and blowing tiles off roofs. Officials say the victim was part of a fishing crew whose vessel capsized near the coast. One other crew member remains missing but four others were rescued by authorities. A statement by the Thai Meteorological Department on Friday afternoon said the storm was losing speed as it continues into Saturday but also warned of “forest runoffs and flash floods.” In anticipation for the storm, flights to and from Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani airports had been canceled, while ferry services and operations on offshore gas fields remain suspended. More than 6,000 people living in the country’s southern provinces had also been evacuated to shelters on higher ground.