The death toll from a landslide triggered by heavy rain on Thailand’s popular resort island of Phuket has risen to 10, officials reported on Saturday.
Three individuals remain missing, and 19 others are injured following Friday’s landslide, which struck a residential area, according to a government statement.
Police confirmed that among the deceased are a Russian couple, a Myanmar national, and Thai citizens. Efforts are ongoing to identify the remaining victims.
The government statement also noted that more than 400 people from 200 households across three districts have been affected.
Social media footage from the disaster shows devastated homes, heaps of rubble, and volunteers working to pump out muddy water.
Thailand has been experiencing intense monsoon rains this week, impacting mainly the southern coast and northern regions.
Rescuers, military personnel, and volunteers have been mobilised to provide supplies and assist with clean-up operations.
“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.
Although Thailand is accustomed to annual monsoon rains, human-induced climate change leads to more severe weather patterns, increasing the likelihood of destructive floods.
In 2011, widespread flooding across Thailand resulted in over 500 fatalities and caused extensive damage to millions of homes throughout the country.
