The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has declared an emergency at the Mae Moh coal mine in Lampang, after continuous rainfall triggered a massive landslide early this morning.
The landslide occurred at about 4am in an area housing the offices of Sahakol Equipment Co. Ltd., a contractor responsible for soil and coal excavation at the site.
The incident destroyed several office buildings constructed on the slope and left several vehicles, including vans, dangling from the hillside.
Initial estimates put the damage at more than 100 million baht.
Officials said the landslide struck the western spoil dump area of the mine in Village 6, Mae Moh sub-district. After days of relentless rain, the saturated spoils could no longer hold firm, causing a section of the hillside to collapse.
Three large transformers exploded during the incident, sending thick black smoke into the air and cutting power to the area. Conveyor belts used to transport spoils were also severely damaged.
Leosun Wongpia, mayor of Ban Dong sub-district, said all mine staff were ordered to stop work and remain on standby while emergency teams assessed the situation. Several vehicles used in the mine were damaged and the road along the irrigation canal is now impassable.
“Continuous rainfall has caused the spoil to keep sliding into the canal. The damage could exceed 100 million baht,” Leosun said.
This is not the first landslide at the site. In 2018, a similar incident, burying a motorcycle rider under the collapsing soil, occurred about 500 metres from the location of today’s incident.
Intermittent rainfall continues in the area and authorities warn that the ground remains unstable.
