Amnuay Chatarat, provincial rescue chief, said the training is part of a campaign to deal with future disasters in the province, including landslides and floods.

"We have trained 54 volunteers to be Mr Alarm so that they will learn to notice unusual incidents in their areas that could possibly lead to floods or landslides. They would then alert people," Amnuay said.

The authorities have been on high alert as the southern region has been hit by tropical storms and consecutive days of rain. Many parts of the region are inundated and hundreds of people homeless, he said, adding that people living in mountainous areas are suffering from landslides.

Amnuay said the campaign to install sirens and educate the pubic about the disaster alertness is aimed at reducing death tolls and property damage.

The Nation