Search and rescue workers have recovered all the eight bodies of villagers whose house was buried in a landslide in Bo Klua district of the northern most province of Nan on Friday night.
All the victims were members of the Akkra family whose house in Ban Huay Kharb, Tambon Dong Phaya, was buried by landslide following heavy rains. The victims included two male adults, four women and two young girls.
Bo Kula chief district officer Preecha Somchai on Saturday ordered the immediate evacuation of the remaining 260 villagers from Ban Huay Kharb to Wat Sawa in Tambon Dong Phaya which is about five kilometres away after officials found a 200-metre crack on the mountain above the village.
He said that, if there are more rains, the crack on the mountain could result in another life-threatening landslide.
The district chief officer disclosed that almost every village in Tambon Dong Phaya was at risk of landslide because they are located on the foot of the mountain.
He said that he had earlier ordered village heads to make an inspection of their respective village and to order evacuation of the villagers if there is an telltale sign of landslide.
It was reported that the commander of the northern-based Third Army Region would visit the evacuees at Wat Sawa in Bo Klua district on Sunday.
Officials of the Department of Geology Department will be sent to Ban Huay Kharb to study the soil samples to determine the cause of the landslide and to find out what could be done to prevent a repeat of the natural disaster.
