STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Rainy season in Southeast Asia has turned deadly in Northern Thailand, where at least 46 people have been killed and many more are now missing after devastating flash flooding in the region. More now from CNN's Tom Mintier.</s>TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The flash floods hit at least a half dozen villages in the mountainous region of Thailand, some 350 kilometers north of the capital Bangkok. According to government officials at the scene, more than 50 houses were swept away by at least two meters of water rushing down the hillside. The region has seen heavy rains for the past week, closing some schools, and forcing the evacuation of several villages. The floods hit at the worst time, in the middle of the night. Authorities say the water rushed down the hillside at 4:00 in the morning, when most villagers were asleep. Dozens of bodies have been recovered, but officials fear the death toll will continue to rise, because village authorities report there are many more people still missing. This is the rainy season in Southeast Asia. It runs from June to October. The flooding in Northern Thailand is an annual problem, made even more destructive by massive deforestation, which has eroded the topsoil and stripped the vegetation that normally prevents flooding. Heavy rains have been falling in this region for more than a week, causing rivers and streams to rise rapidly over their banks. Tom Mintier, CNN, Bangkok.
Floods in Thailand Kill 46