BANGKOK, THAILAND (BNO NEWS) -- At least 15 people have been killed by flooding and mudslides in the southern region of Thailand caused by the week's heavy rainfall, the Bangkok Post reported Wednesday.

The latest reports include the death of four people who were swept by a mudslide in the Khao Phanom district in Krabi Province that completely destroyed two villages and injured at least 40 people.

In the Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, at least seven people have been killed.

In addition, around 15,000 tourists have been stranded on islands struck by the heavy storms, including roughly 13,000 on Koh Samui alone. The island's tourism association's Bannasat Ruangjan expressed concern as ongoing storms could lead to to a lack of food and fuel supplies.

The Interior Ministry said 1,225 tourists were also stranded in Koh Tao and 1,100 in the Phangan islands in the Gulf of Thailand.

Meanwhile, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the country's lone aircraft carrier, 11,485 metric-ton HTMS Chakri Naruebet, which can hold 10 helicopters, rescued around 1,000 people stuck on Koh Tao island.

Thailand's disaster prevention and mitigation department has declared 80 districts of eight provinces as disaster areas.

Late last year, harsh floods killed over 220 people and caused damages that affected around 8.6 million people in 51 of the kingdom's 76 provinces.

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