Thailand's devastating floods have reportedly claimed the lives of at least 261 people, while leaving another four people missing.
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© unknownThailand flood death toll hits 260
On Sunday, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported the rise in the death toll and warned that the flooding situation is to continue in 30 different provinces, Xinhua reports.

The flooding has affected approximately 2.34 million people in 10,130 villages, which have been hit by the flood waters. Officials warn that the flood could be heading towards the capital Bangkok.

After water levels exceeded one and a half meters, hundreds of prisoners were evacuated from a prison in the Ayutthaya town, about 105 kilometers (65 miles) north of the capital, Bangkok, on Thursday.

Authorities have also been evacuating patients from a hospital in Ayutthaya town, where the level of flood waters went over two meters.

Since the floods began in mid-July, thousands have been forced to leave their homes in Thailand. About 170 have also died in neighboring Cambodia.

The forecast for the growth of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) this year stands at 3.6 percent instead of the previously-projected 4.4 percent because of the floods, according to Thailand's Center for Economic and Business Forecasting.