Heavy rain and landslide cause villas at Koh Samui resort to collapse

Heavy rain and landslides caused several villas at a resort on Koh Samui to collapse on Saturday. Torrential rain over the past several days flooded several areas on the island and, according to weather reports, rain is expected to continue for the next few days.

The landslide hit the Merit Resort Samui early Saturday morning. The resort’s general manager described how a total of 8 villas collapsed, and 3 others were damaged and are at risk of crumbling. The cause of the landslide is believed to be the construction of a road in the area, which may have led to a large amount of water pooling and loosening the soil around the resort.

She also said that the resort had never seen a disaster like this in its 15 years of operation. No deaths or significant injuries were reported, but a few resort staff members received some minor injuries. The manager went on to explain that the first step was to get the area drained of water. Only after the area is totally dry can repairs take place, and she said that the safety of the whole resort is compromised.

“All the villas in the resort have been closed and guests relocated. So far, we are still unable to evaluate the damage.”

The Surat Thani government has instructed relevant agencies to go assess conditions in the area, reports the Nation Thailand, and locals have been instructed to be on the lookout for strong winds and more landslides.

SOURCES: The Nation Thailand | The Weather Channel