27/03/2011
Mongkol Bangprapa & Kultida Ssmabuddhi
Bangkok Post
The death toll from the earthquake in Burma is much greater than feared with more than 150 people killed in the disaster, eyewitness reports suggest.
Puenkham Payakwong, a Tachilek native who works as a reporter for the Shan Herald News Agency, told the Bangkok Post that more than 150 people were killed, double the official toll of 75.
He also described a chaotic scene where relief efforts were failing to reach people, some of whom were running short of rice and water.
"The casualties are much higher than the official figure," he said.
"Many people are still missing and their relatives have been trying in vain to search for their loved ones," he said in a phone interview from Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district.
"Many houses have been destroyed and villagers have to stay at monasteries or on roads," said the Shan reporter.
He said drinking water and rice were needed the most.
Foreign aid agencies had set up their units far away from the affected area, so it was hard for people to reach relief supplies.
Burma puts the official number of deaths at 75, but that is widely expected to rise as authorities move into remote areas which were cut off by road closures.
More than 240 buildings are said to have collapsed on the Burmese side of the border.
One Thai woman was also killed in Mae Sai, and more than 100 people were injured in areas close to the epicentre, according to official estimates.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, meanwhile, has ordered an overhaul of Thailand's disaster warning system.
And in line with that effort, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says it will write tsunami preparedness measures into the capital's emergency response plan.
The prime minister yesterday said he acknowledged His Majesty the King's concern over the reliability of the country's natural disaster warning operations.
PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey would review the disaster warning system to find any flaws, and work with state agencies to fix them, Mr Abhisit said.
Mr Abhisit will today inspect the National Disaster Warning Centre in Nonthaburi province, where he will chair a teleconference with governors from earthquake-risk provinces including Chiang Rai, Phrae and Nan.
The governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat will also report to Mr Abhisit on the flood disaster in the southern provinces.
Mr Sathit said details of the revised warning plan would be tabled for cabinet discussion tomorrow.
"We've made [disaster warning and preparedness] a national agenda item. The nation has to take the matter seriously," he said.
Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said City Hall would also overhaul Bangkok's disaster preparedness plan.
"The revised plan will include tsunami warning because there are so many unpredictable incidents these days," he said.
"Bangkok has 4.7km coastline, so we should prepare for tidal waves."
The governor also vowed to conduct a citywide inspection of high-rises in the capital to ensure they were earthquake-proof.
"We haven't taken the earthquake issue seriously when building high-rises in Bangkok because few people think the risk is real," he said.
Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanavisit has told executives of hospitals in earthquake-risk provinces to prepare patient evacuation plans in case disaster strikes. Fourteen hospitals in the northern provinces were slightly damaged by the earthquake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks.
Thailand yesterday donated three million baht to help the earthquake victims in Burma.
4 comments:
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
Thailand must think again about her atomic plan.
unfortunately, myanmar is one of the countries that have earthquake faultlines, etc.
All my wishes and sympathies are with the people of Thailand
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