IOL News
Bangkok -
At least 18 Thai villagers were killed and more than 60 are missing
after a landslide caused by monsoon rains swept away their homes
in the northern province of Phrae early on Friday, officials said.
The landslide,
which tore through an isolated valley in the early hours of the
morning, devastated more than 300 simple dwellings, said Phrae
governor Anukul Kunawong.
Flash flooding
hit Wang Chin district in Phrae, 550km from Bangkok, after two
days of heavy rains which marked the start of the monsoon season.
Provincial
authorities estimate that about 4 000 people in 800 households
have been affected by the floods, but the number of missing cannot
be confirmed as the roads are impassable.
The interior
ministry's civil defence department said the death toll stood
at 18, with 30 missing. But the public health ministry said that,
after consulting with local health officials, it found 61 were
unaccounted for.
Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra blamed meteorological experts for the deaths,
saying they had failed to issue advance flood warnings for the
region.
"I will
summon officials from the meteorological department to ask why
villagers were not fully warned of a big catastrophe beforehand,"
he said.
The premier
also ordered Interior Minister Purachai Piemsomboon to leave for
the devastated area Friday, and said extra funds should be made
available for disaster relief.
Anukul blamed
the tragedy on logging that has destroyed forests in the area.
"Wang
Chin is a district surrounded by mountains and the Wieng Kosai
national park," he said. "This has clearly happened
because of excessive depletion of the forests." - Sapa-AFP
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