Big Buddha Phuket charged with encroachment after deadly landslide
Police have charged the Big Buddha Phuket Phraphutthamingmongkhol Sattha 45 Foundation and its president, Suporn Wanichakul, with forest encroachment and unauthorised construction following a deadly landslide at the site.
Karon police announced the charges related to forest destruction and have referred the case to public prosecutors.
The landslide, which occurred after heavy rain on August 23, struck Nak Koet Hill, where the foundation’s 45-metre-tall Buddha statue stands.
The disaster resulted in 13 fatalities and 19 injuries along Soi Patak 2 Road in tambon Karon of the Mueang district. A total of 209 households were impacted by the incident.
The site has been closed to the public for safety reasons since September 2, reported Bangkok Post.
The Royal Forest Department attributed the landslides to the clearing of trees on the hilltop to make way for the giant Buddha statue, which was constructed by the foundation under the directive of the National Office of Buddhism.
In related news, another landslide hit the Ratsada sub-district of Phuket in the early hours of August 28 leaving nine houses in the area damaged. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The landslide in the Kata sub-district of Phuket killed 13 people, most of whom were migrant workers, and affected more than 200 households in the area. Residents are not yet out of danger due to heavy rain, which caused flooding in many areas of the province.
Unfortunately, another landslide occurred in Ban Thep Buri (also known as Ban Kuku) in the Ratsada sub-district at about 5.30am on August 28. Officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station and a rescue team rushed to the scene to ensure the residents’ safety.
Fortunately, locals in the area managed to escape from their homes without any injuries. Each resident was seen standing in the rain on the road, with some remaining in a state of shock. At least nine households were damaged in the incident.
