Thousands of mussels wash up on beach due to tropical storm Sinlaku in Thailand

Thousands of mussels wash up on beach due to tropical storm Sinlaku in Thailand

Frantic locals scooped up thousands of mussels washed up on a beach by tropical storm Sinlaku.

Amazed residents rushed to the Jomtien beach in Chonburi, eastern Thailand, with buckets and sacks to collect the popular seafood yesterday morning (August 3).

Mussels and other shellfish appears on the sand the morning after the storm - which has so far killed four people - brought strong winds and powerful currents.

Some residents said they cooked the mussels at homes while others sold them at nearby markets and roadsides.

They said that they had seen a similar phenomenon around three years ago after storms hit the region.

One old lady, who was seen digging through the sands to find shells, said: "I was delighted that the ocean served us these precious meals this morning.

My family are pleased to cook them for lunch." Storm Sinlaku hit Thailand and Vietnam on Sunday, with four people dead and thousands more left homeless due to the floods.

The storm crossed into Myanmar, also known as Burma, on Monday.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered rescue workers to provide urgent help to more than 1,000 households in Loei province, which is one of the worst-hit regions.

Many residents were today being moved to higher ground.

Rescue teams have been battling to save stranded residents, carrying them out in rubber boats.

Officials from the Thai Meteorological Department said that heavy rain and flash-flood warnings were still in force until at least Tuesday, with rain expected throughout the week.

Sinlaku also hit Laos and Vietnam, where it killed another two people on Sunday in the provinces of Hoa Binh and Quang Ninh.

The Vietnam Disaster Management Authority feared the heavy rains could cause landslides and flash flooding in the country's northern mountainous provinces where up to 400mm of rainfall is predicted.