Mudslide In Patong At Noon Today 15 July

[NBT TV Phuket]

Our provisional report stated the land slide occurred around mid day at a construction site of a wall supposedly to prevent a land slide at a plot belonging to a local private owner, on Soi Nanai in east Patong. A worker told police that during their lunch break one of the workers went to the site to collect construction equipment, but the land slide occurred. His friends then attempted to rescue him, but also got buried. This was due to the earth failing to hold water, possibly from heavy rain that fell earlier.

More details and video in our program tomorrow:

Andaman News NBT (VHF dial) + maybe FM90.5 Radio Thailand at 8.30am & perhaps relays/repeats on local Cable TV channel 1, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, & possibly FM108 Mazz Radio 7.30pm in Phuket, Wednesday 16 July 2008 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/

[merijn]

Sad news but sad to say i'm not suprised.

It was waiting to happen.

Can you tell me where exactly this slide happend.

[Boater]

there was some very heavy rain today.

[LivinginKata]

Phuket Gazette

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Three buried alive in Patong landslide

Following heavy rains last night, the embankment gave way, covering the entire driveway and crushing three Burmese laborers below.

PATONG: Following heavy rains overnight, three Burmese laborers were crushed by a landslide this morning at the site of a new apartment block being built on 50 Pi Rd.

The laborers were part of a construction crew who had been working on building a retaining wall at the site, located opposite Rattana Hill Apartments, to prevent such an incident.

The owner of apartment project, who declined to identify himself, told the Gazette; “It happened at about 11:30 am where we are building a two-meter concrete wall to prevent landslides.

“Actually, the laborers had been given the day off work, but still turned up at the site to pick something up,” he said.

“At first, only one laborer was caught in the slide. After the lower part of his body was trapped, he started shouting to two of his friends who were waiting nearby to come and help him.

“While his two friends were trying to pull him out, more land started to slide, burying all three of them alive,” he explained.

“Then officers from the Department of Disaster Prevention Mitigation tried to use a backhoe to dig them out. Unfortunately, it was too late. They had already died of suffocation,” he added.

Phuket Police Commander Apirak Hongthong arrived at the scene with Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonak and fellow officers.

Col Grissak told the Gazette; “We would like to warn people who are building on hills to please be careful. When there is hard rain, we often have problems like this due to the fact that this type of land holds water and does not drain easily.

“Maj Gen Apirak has repeated his call for Patong Municipality officers to check the entire area for risk areas where landslides might occur, especially in the vicinity of this accident,” he said.

Col Grissak identified two of the laborers as “Mea”, 30, and “So Ong”, 45.

“The third laborer has yet to be identified,” he said.

The Gazette questioned all those at the scene but was unable to find out how the apartment owner could know all the details of the accident without being there.

The owner himself when questioned further was reluctant to elaborate.

As he had only just arrived at the scene, Col Grissak said he had yet to learn the identity of the project owner.

“The police will investigate further to find out whether the apartment owner is at fault and to check whether or not the laborers were legally employed,” he said.

[NBT TV Phuket]

MiniVDO: A mud slide at a construction site in Patong cost three lives.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev...php?news_id=431

or

A relief team from Patong Municipality yesterday rushed to rescue Burmese workers who were reported to have been buried under a land slide at a construction site of a wall near a building. The rescue team spent two hours before they discovered 3 bodies of Burmese workers, all already dead. The Deputy Chief of Patong municipality’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation department said the land slide occurred around midday yesterday at a construction site of a wall supposedly to prevent a land slide at a plot belonging to a local private owner, near Soi Nanai in east Patong. Kathu Police superintendent Pol. Col. Krissak Songmoonnaak said a worker told police that during their lunch break one of the workers went to the site to collect construction equipment, but the land slide occurred. His friends then attempted to rescue him, but also got buried. This was due to the earth failing to hold heavy rain water. Police would call the construction supervisor to investigate if due to careless work.

Andaman News NBT (VHF dial) + maybe FM90.5 Radio Thailand at 8.30am & perhaps relays/repeats on local Cable TV channel 1, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, & possibly FM108 Mazz Radio 7.30pm in Phuket, Wednesday 16 July 2008 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ Contact [email protected]

[Super Hans]

Poor sods.

Does it ever stop raining in phuket?

[donna]

what a tragic story.

50 pii road is a beautiful area, but im not sure if i would really want to build up there.

may the deceased rest in peace and may their families come to terms with their grief.