A highway worker was killed after flash floods filled a road tunnel in Prachinburi, northeastern Thailand, on Sunday (November 1).

Heavy rain caused raging torrents of muddy water to pour down hillsides and swamp the Khao Yai-Thap Lan tunnel.

Three cars were trapped in the 6ft deep water before being evacuated. However, one worker who was cutting electricity was washed away by the deluge and drowned. Two others who were caught up in the torrents were also washed away but were later rescued.

The floods in the tunnel abated the following evening after a highway senior officer Jirapong Theppitak said the water pump was installed to drain the flowing water.

The tunnels were cleared by splashing more than 9,000 litres to clean the leftover slush. The traffic lanes were later reopened after they finished cleaning the roads.

More than 100 holidaymakers' vehicles were covered by muddy floods while they were staying at a nearby hotel.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said heavy rain in the area caused irrigation authorities to release water from rapidly filling dams, flooding communities downstream.