Pope consoles flood-hit Thailand, Italy

VATICAN City—Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday offered consolation to people in Thailand and Italy affected by torrential rains and floods.

“I wish to express my closeness to the people of Thailand hit by serious floods like those in Liguria and Tuscany in Italy, recently affected by the consequences of serious rains,” the pope said after his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican.

A three-month-old crisis in Thailand triggered by unusually heavy monsoon rains has left at least 381 people dead around the kingdom and damaged millions of homes and livelihoods, mostly in northern and central parts of the country.

Heavy rains last week in Italy claimed nine lives and the government declared a state of emergency in the affected areas where damage was estimated at more than 200 million euros ($280 million).