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| A man looks at what is left of his village after landslides struck tambon Na Khao in Krabi’s Khao Phanom district. At least 3 people were killed in the landslides which were triggered by flooding. |
31/03/2011
Bangkok Post
At least 3 people have been killed and six others are reported missing as mudslides swept away villages and heightened the southern flooding crisis. The overall death toll has risen to at least 15.
Mountain run-off and landslides hit villages in tambon Na Khao in Krabi's Khao Phanom district yesterday and washed away up to 50 homes, provincial governor Prasit Osathanont said.
Hours after the landslides struck, rescue workers were still sifting through the mud in a desperate search for other victims.
Earlier it was reported that as many as 200 villagers were missing, but Mr Prasit said rescue workers who struggled to reach the devastated villages had confirmed that so far only three bodies had been found. About 300-400 people lived in the areas hit by the landslides.
News of the disaster came as 12 people were earlier confirmed dead in the heavy floods that have hit eight southern provinces.
The eight provinces are Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Surat Thani, Trang, Chumphon, Songkhla, Krabi and Phangnga.
Seven victims were confirmed dead in Nakhon Si Thammarat, four in Surat Thani and one in Phatthalung.
In Samui, hundreds of stranded travellers scrambled for air tickets at Samui International airport, after two planes managed to take off for Bangkok.
Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Narabuet and two smaller vessels, HTMS Sukhothai and Gor911, plucked stranded visitors from the islands of Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui.
But it was in Krabi where the floods exacted their highest toll yesterday, as mudslides and mountain runoff descended on villages, washing away residents and their homes.
The worst-hit areas were Moo 6 of Ban Huay Kaew, Moo 7 of Ban Ton Harn, and Moo 10 of Ban Khlong Haeng where some 40-50 houses were buried in mud. Supoj Chanakij, chief of Khao Phanom district, said Moo 7 was the worst hit.
"It was the first village to be hit by runoff from Phanom Bencha mountain. The torrent was so fierce, it swept away houses," he said.
Mr Supoj said the death toll could go higher.
"It happened so fast. The villagers were caught off guard," he said.
The bodies of the victims were moved to Khao Phanom temple while survivors were evacuated to temporary shelters set up at several temples.
A villager who was identified only as Winai said run-off from the mountain started sweeping in on Tuesday morning.
"When I was watching the flood, I heard a loud noise coming from the mountain and the water rushed down and swallowed whole houses.
"I managed to flee with my mother and my wife. Our relatives were trapped and their houses covered with mud," he said.
Santi Yuttanant, director of Khao Phanom Hospital, said 39 people had sought medical treatment. Seven were critical. He said villagers were traumatised by the disaster.
"Two children told me their parents were swept away in front of their eyes," he said.
Several areas were still inaccessible, with supplies of fresh water, food and electricity running low.
Persistent rain and strong river currents dampened joint rescue efforts by the military, police and local administrations.
The Department of Mineral Resources said landslides were still a potent threat.
It warned of possible runoff and mudslides in all 14 southern provinces over the next two days.
The national flood relief centre yesterday warned of possible landslides in three districts of Phangnga, three districts in Surat Thani and one district in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
It said seven reservoirs in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Trang provinces had reported flooding.
However, the centre said the inundation in the region was expected to ease in the next 5-7 days if there was no further rain.
Other southern provinces were still suffering from severe flooding. Surat Thani has declared all 19 districts disaster areas with about 200,000 people evacuated.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday about one million people had been affected by the floods.
3 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,
I notice a lot of Thai town names are original Khmer words. The whole region was Cambodia land. Phanom = Phnom. Krabi = Krabey (water buffalo). Tambon = Dombon (district).
see, siem thugs pillaged their own country by cutting down trees, etc... and the world only blamed on cambodia! what a bias people on cambodia.
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