Soil Indicators not Working During Phuket Landslide, says Official

Phuket –

The Department of Mineral Resources has confirmed soil indicators used to detect possible landslides are not working due to a lack of budget and maintenance.

Our previous stories:

Phuket has been announced as a disaster zone in which 209 families are currently suffering from the effects of landslides and flash floods, announced relevant officials.

Thirteen people have been found dead including two Russian nationals after a landslide in Karon on Friday early in the morning (August 23^rd).

A local in Phuket has filed a letter to the Phuket Governor asking for a formal investigation to find the causes of a landslide on the Nark Kerd Hill in Karon, Mueang Phuket.

The Karon Mayor has confirmed that no legal license was requested for some construction on the Phuket Big Buddha.

The Royal Forest Department has confirmed that some areas at the Big Buddha have encroached illegally into a reserve forest.

Now for the update:

The Geohazard Operation Center, part of the Department of Mineral Resources, informed the Phuket Express on Wednesday (August 28th), that the soil indicator on Nark Kerd Mountain was not operational prior to the landslide incident. The reason for this was a lack of budget for maintenance.

Additionally, the soil indicator had been installed near a tree in the parking area close to the landslide’s starting point. Unfortunately, termites were found inside the indicator system, and some trees and structures obstructed its functionality. The indicator relies on solar cell power, but when it was initially installed, there were no obstructions in the device’s area. However, over time, signals were blocked due to the surrounding vegetation and structures. Some sensors were also not functioning properly.

Furthermore, the udometer (rain measurement device) was also non-operational due to insufficient maintenance funding. These combined factors have significantly reduced the effectiveness of the soil indicators.

Phuket has two soil indicators that were installed a decade ago, but neither has transmitted any signals for over a year. The department has not received a maintenance budget for the past four years from the central government, said officials.

The soil indicator serves as the primary warning system for landslides. When soil movement occurs, it sends a signal to the Department of Mineral Resources, alerting local authorities. Locals in Karon expressed disappointment, believing that if the indicator were functional, people in the area could have been evacuated before the landslide occurred.

Local authorities, however, said the matter of the budget allegedly being denied by the central government was not their fault.