At least five people have died after a landslide caused by heavy rain slammed into a luxury villa on the popular Thai resort island of Phuket. A Russian couple are believed to be among the dead who were on the island while local police are working to identify the victims. Thailand has been battered by monsoon rains over the past few days that have left a trail of devastation in southern areas and some parts of the north.
Police chief Khundech Na Nongkhai said: “Heavy rain which began at 2.00 am last night caused a landslide that damaged homes. Those living in the area were caught off guard.
” Images show buildings that have been smashed by the landslide that is believed to have come down from the Nak Kerd mountain range and hit the residential area of the island, where hotels and rented apartments are located. Flooding from the monsoon rain has caused several deaths before the latest incident and now emergency services, volunteers and the police are looking to find victims. The rescue operation though is being hindered by the continued showers and expectation of more to come.
A local called Sukon Nakmat, 34, told local media how she ran to safety and remarkably survived the landslide. She said she had been sleeping when she heard a loud noise and climbed on top of the roof of her house when she saw the floods which saved her life. It comes after a small passenger plane on a domestic flight in Thailand crashed Thursday afternoon shortly after taking off from the main airpor.