Khao Lak road collapses
KHAO LAK: A large section of Petchkasem Rd near Khao Lak, as well as part of a recently-built sidewalk and steel barrier, plunged 40 meters down a slope after heavy rain on Wednesday night.
The landslide, near the Baan Krating resort at the top of the range at Lamru National Park, came to rest a few meters from a building near the beach.
No casualties were reported, although traffic was brought to a standstill for several hours.
Warning lights and signs were installed on Thursday after several minor road accidents.
Investigation by Gazette columnist Franky Gun revealed that the area underneath the part of the road that collapsed had been filled with sand. Water streaming down adjacent hills carved out the filling around a number of concrete columns until the whole structure collapsed.
Although the landslide happened some 80 kilometers north of Phuket, the road is the main traffic artery linking Khao Lak to Phuket and is the primary route for visa runs from Phuket to Ranong.
The section of road where the slide occurred is now open to traffic, though only one way at a time until the northbound lane has been made safe.
