Mudslide damages 8 houses in Phuket, residents evacuated

Residents of eight homes at the foot of a deforested hill in Mueang district of Phuket were evacuated today, following a mudslide caused by heavy rainfall last week.

Nakarin Yor-asongrat, the mayor of Ratsada sub-district, inspected the scene at Thep Buri housing estate on Rassadanusorn Road and advised residents to evacuate for their safety. The mudslide damaged the roofs and walls.

He said that ten other houses in the same estate are at risk of being struck by mudslides if rain continues unabated.

Several areas in Phuket’s Mueang and Thalang districts were under up to 40cm of floodwater yesterday. Traffic on some roads in Choeng Talay sub-district were blocked by fallen trees.

The water level in the Bang Yai Canal, which cuts through downtown Phuket, is steadily rising, prompting the city mayor, Saroj Angkanapilas, to order the installation of water pumps to protect the commercial district.

Officials have also been told to monitor the water level in the canal around the clock.

Thirteen people, including nine Myanmar nationals, a Russian couple and two Thai women, died in a deadly mudslide in Mueang district last week.

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