BANGKOK — Heavy rain and a landslide from a mountain have destroyed buildings in Soi Patak 2, behind Kitti Sangkharam Temple (Kata Temple) in Karon Subdistrict, Mueang District, Phuket Province. The incident has resulted in 10 deaths. Search efforts are ongoing for additional missing persons. 250 households have been affected by the disaster.
On August 23, officials set up an incident command center at Kitti Sangkharam Temple (Kata Temple) to coordinate operations and request assistance.
The Mueang Phuket District reported continuous heavy rainfall from the night of August 22, 2024, until the morning of August 23, 2024, measuring 200 millimeters of rainfall. This led to the landslide that caused fatalities: 7 Myanmar nationals, 1 Thai nationals, and 2 Russian nationals.
The first 8 people found by the officials were distributed across different locations as follows:
Location 1: Lower Soi Patak 2, 1 female
Location 2: Lower Soi Patak 8, 1 female
Location 3: Middle Soi Patak 8, 4 bodies: 2 males, 2 females
Location 4: Upper Soi Patak 8, 2 Russian nationals: 1 male, 1 female
Ms. Sukon Nakmat, 34, originally from Trang Province and residing in the landslide area from Nakkerd Mountain, recounted her escape. She was sleeping when she heard a loud noise, then felt everything being dragged down, including walls and the roof. She ran to the roof to escape. The flood and mud hit around 5 a.m. She suffered injuries including a cut eyebrow and scrapes on her arms and legs.
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) and the Phuket Governor to coordinate assistance for the victims.
He emphasized the importance of providing information about weather conditions, tourist areas, and locations at risk of rainstorms, flooding, and landslides, advising people to avoid high-risk areas and providing guidelines for what to do in case of emergencies.
The flooding has affected two subdistricts: Chalong and Karon. The landslide occurred behind Kata Temple. The Phuket DDPM Office, DDPM Region 18 Phuket Center, Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization President, Mueang Phuket District Chief, Karon Subdistrict Municipality, Kusoldhamma Foundation, emergency response teams, rescue teams, and related agencies have reached the area and are assisting the victims.
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