Accident Villagers Carry Sick Man Through Torrential Rain for 5 Hours After Road Collapse in Mae Hong

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

A remote community in Mae Sariang District, Mae Hong Son province, was forced to carry a seriously ill man on a homemade litter, under a bamboo pole, through heavy rain and treacherous conditions for nearly five hours after landslides and flash floods severed all road access to the nearest hospital.

 

The incident occurred late night on 13 May, after continuous downpours triggered flooding and washed away key roads in the area. Villagers in Ban Mae Hia, Saohin sub-district, were unable to summon emergency transport due to the impassable conditions.

 

The patient, identified as Mr Sompong, had been suffering from severe lower abdominal pain due to a hernia that had descended into the scrotal area. He also reported vomiting three times, a mild fever, and a burning sensation below the sternum, all symptoms raising concern for a potentially serious medical condition.

 

With no viable vehicle route to medical care, local residents decided to act. In an extraordinary show of community effort, they carried Mr Sompong on a litter through dense forest and difficult terrain, battling rain and mud throughout the night.

 

The group finally reached the Salachiangtong Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital at 03:00, nearly five hours after their journey began. Medical staff at the rural facility had been coordinating remotely with Mae Sariang Hospital in anticipation of the patient’s arrival.

 

Mr Sompong was immediately attended to, thanks in part to pre-arranged online consultation between local health workers and hospital specialists.

 

This act of heroism once again highlights the resilience of remote communities and the ongoing challenges posed by extreme weather in mountainous regions.

 

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-15.