Phuket landslide death toll jumps to 10

BANGKOK - The death toll from a landslide caused by heavy rain on Thailand’s popular resort island of Phuket has risen to 10, officials said on Aug 24.

Three people are still missing and 19 were injured following the Aug 23 landslide that slammed into a residential area, the government said in a statement.

Police said on Aug 24 that a Russian couple, a Myanmar national and Thai citizens were among the dead, adding that officers were working to identify other victims.

More than 400 people from 200 households in three districts have been affected, the government statement said.

Footage of the disaster shared on social media showed destroyed homes, piles of rubble and volunteers trying to pipe out the muddy water.

Thailand has endured heavy monsoon rains this week, largely affecting the kingdom’s southern coast and areas in the north.

Rescuers, military personnel and volunteers have been deployed to deliver supplies to those in need and to help with clean-up efforts.

“More funds have been put in place to help the victims, and a team has been set up to study the cause of the landslide,” the government said.

While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, man-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

Widespread flooding across Thailand in 2011 killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes around the country. AFP