NEW: Evacuations include 600 inmates at prison, some animals from zooPM warns capital could be submerged by as much as 1.5 meters (4.9 feet)Authorities: Floods have killed 373 people and affected more than 9.5 millionPublic holidays declared for rest of monthAre you there? Send yoor images, video to iReport.
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Floodwaters have forced the closure of Bangkok's Don Muang airport and the evacuation of flood victims who have taken refuge there, but the flood relief operation will continue to be based there, the Thai government said Wednesday.
The Airports of Thailand declared the airport, which primarily services domestic flights, closed Tuesday night, after floodwaters flowed onto runways and affected the lighting. Nok Air, which operates all flights from Don Muang, canceled all flights through October 31, and Orient Thai Airlines temporarily moved all domestic operations to the main Suvarnabhumi Airport.
More than 600 prisoners, including the highly important ones, of Bang Kwang Central Prison have been evacuated, according to the Department of Corrections. The high-security prison has about 4,000 inmates, the chief of the prison said.
The floods have also forced the Dusit Zoo to evacuate some animals, including goat antelope and Sika deer, to a zoo in the countryside, according to Dusit Zoo's chief, Karnchai Saenwong,
In a televised address Tuesday night, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the capital could be submerged by as much as 1.5 meters (4.9 feet).
The floods have killed 373 people and affected more than 9.5 million people, authorities said.
