PHUKET, Thailand – A terrifying disaster hit Phuket Island as mountain soil slid down and buried luxury villas, causing destruction and killing 10 people. 19 others were injured and 1 person is still missing. The incident was caused by heavy rain throughout the night, which made the soil unable to absorb more water, leading to the collapse of over 50 homes. Meanwhile, the flooding crisis in northern Thailand remains unresolved.
Efforts to Aid Affected Villagers
The flood crisis in northern Thailand continues unabated as a devastating tragedy occurred in Phuket. Mountain soil slid down and buried more than 50 homes and luxury villas, resulting in at least 10 deaths, 19 injuries, and one person missing.
Phuket Landslide Shocks
The tragedy occurred in the early hours of August 23. Pol. Lt. Col. Wiwat Chamnanit, Deputy Chief of Karon Police Station in Phuket, received reports of the landslide after heavy rain persisted throughout the night. The rain caused mudslides from Nakkerd Mountain, hitting homes and villas in Karon, behind Wat Kata, Moo 2, Karon. Reports were given to Pol. Maj. Gen. Sinlert Sukhum, Phuket Provincial Police Commander, and Sattah Thongkham, Phuket Deputy Governor, who led disaster response teams to the area.
Homes Destroyed, 10 Dead
At the scene, it was found that mudslides from the mountain top buried homes and luxury villas in four locations: over 50 houses and 4 luxury villas were severely damaged. The mud and uprooted trees crushed the buildings flat. Rescue teams used heavy machinery and spread their efforts to search for the missing throughout the day, finding 10 bodies. Most were found in rental rooms—8 bodies—while 2 were of a Russian couple. Most bodies were buried under mud and collapsed buildings as the disaster struck early in the morning while people were asleep. Additionally, there were numerous minor injuries, and one Myanmar worker remains missing.
Victims Include Thais, Myanmar Nationals, and Russians
Deputy Governor Sattah revealed that the heavy rain started around 10 PM and intensified again at 4 AM, causing the soil on Nakkerd Mountain to be unable to hold more water, leading to severe mudslides. After the incident, the Phuket District Chief set up an incident command center at Wat Kata, mobilizing local, municipal, administrative, and related agencies to respond to the situation and use the site as an evacuation center.
The rescue teams discovered 10 bodies in four locations: Patak Soi 2—1 Myanmar woman; Patak Soi 8 (lower) —1 Myanmar woman; Patak Soi 8 (middle) —6 bodies (2 Myanmar men, 3 Myanmar women, 1 Thai woman); Patak Soi 8 (upper) —2 bodies (Russian couple, Mr. Yevgeny Baturin, 38, and Ms. Ekaterina Zabavskaya, 36). All bodies were sent for autopsy at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Disaster Areas Declared
Phuket Province has declared disaster areas due to flooding, waiting for drainage, flash floods, and landslides in Phuket City District, including:
Chalong: Mae Somjit Market area, Luang Pho Ouan Road, opposite Orchid Hotel, Big Buddha Road, Chalong Suk Village, Wat Tai intersection, Chaofa East Road, Koh Tonod intersection, Chaofa West Road, Thanu Thep Soi, Pramote Soi, Land and House Village, in front of Lotus Chalong.
Karon: Soi Luang Por Chuan, Bang La Karon, Patak Soi 2, Patak Soi 10, Patak Soi 18, Patak Soi 15, Koh Tonod-Kata Soi 2, in front of Khok Tonod Fire Station, Kata, Patak Soi 4, in front of Beyond Kata Hotel, and Soi Ket Khwan in Kata.
Rawai: Saiyuan and Nai Harn areas, there were reports of 9 deaths, 2 missing, 3 critically injured, 3 moderately injured, and 13 with minor injuries. Over 50 houses and 250 households have been damaged.
