Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
Thirteen people including a Russian couple died in a mudslide on the Thai resort island of Phuket, the authorities said Sunday, after calling off a search for missing persons.
Tourists walk past a tractor used to clear an area after thirteen people, including a Russian couple, died in a mudslide on the Thai resort island of Phuket, Thailand, on 25th August, 2024. PICTURE: Reuters/Sinthana Kosolpradit.
Heavy rains last week set off the mudslides near the Big Buddha, a popular tourist destination in the south of the country, said Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat.
Besides the Russians, nine of the dead were migrant workers from Myanmar and the other two were Thais, Sophon said. About 20 people were injured and 209 households were affected by the mudslide.
A major cleanup is under way, the Governor said, adding that the authorities were getting in touch with relatives and embassies of the victims.
Meanwhile, 13 people were killed and two injured in Indonesia’s North Maluku province on Sunday after floods in the east of the sprawling archipelago, authorities said.
The country’s disaster management agency BNPB said the floods, caused by heavy rain since Saturday, also badly damaged 10 houses in Ternate city.
A drone view shows houses damaged following flashfloods in Rua village, Ternate, North Maluku province, Indonesia, on 25th August, 2024, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. PICTURE: Antara Foto/Andri Saputra/via Reuters.
Citing forecasts that heavy rain may continue in the next few days, BNPB warned local residents to be on guard.
“We urge people to remain vigilant and follow directions from authorities on potential subsequent floods,” spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement.
BNPB said it has deployed a team to help evacuate the victims. Search and rescue agency Basarnas also said that efforts to evacuate victims, who were hit by landslides and debris swept along by floodwaters, were ongoing.
In May, flash floods and mud slides in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province killed more than 60 people.
– With reporting by STEFANNO SULAIMAN in Jakarta
