Phuket pounded by moonsoon weather

PHUKET: Strong monsoon winds last night uprooted a large tree in front of Wachira Phuket Hospital causing a blackout in the immediate area when the tree fell onto power lines along Yaowarat Road.

By 8am, municipality workers were using a crane and chainsaws to lift the tree off the power lines and cut it into logs to be loaded onto trucks and carted away.

The work to remove the tree, which hung precariously over Yaowarat Road suspended by the sagging power lines, caused traffic tailbacks and at least one three-car fender bender on the wet road.

Power was switched back on in the area about 10am.

The Phuket Meteorological department has advised that Phuket will continue to be battered by stormy monsoon weather over the weekend and into next week.

— Nick Davies