37 Dead at Thai Waterfall

[Richard Barrow]

At least 12 killed by flash floods at two waterfalls in Trang
The Nation, 14th April 2007

Trang - At least 12 people were killed and several others went missing when they were washed away by flash floods at two waterfalls in this southern border province Saturday afternoon.

The flash floods occurred nearly the same time shortly after 2 pm at the Sairung Waterfall and Prai Sawan Waterfall about 4 kilometres away, both in Yan Takhao district.

Nine bodies were retrieved at the Sairung Waterfall and three bodies at the Prai Sawan Waterfall.

The Nation

[Khun Don]

BANGKOK, April 14 (Reuters) - Flash floods killed at least 27 people and injured more than 20 at three waterfalls in the southern Thai province of Trang on Saturday as they celebrated the Thai New Year, disaster officials said.

Rescue teams were searching the area for about 30 people believed missing after the floods, triggered by heavy rains, swept over the waterfalls 10 km (six miles) apart in the Bantad Hill Range, the Health Ministry's Relief Centre said.

Most of the victims were swimming below the Sai Roong (Rainbow) and Prai Sawan (Heavenly Forest) falls during a long weekend holiday for the new year Songkran festival and the search was difficult in the jungle area, police said.

Thirteen children, 10 boys and three girls, were among the dead at falls which are a popular destination for local families at holiday times.

[Khun Don]

Death toll of Trang flash floods rise to 35

Trang - A total of 35 bodies have been retrieved so far from two waterfalls in this southern border province, officials said.

The tourists were washed away when flash floods rushed down the waterfalls Saturday afternoon.

Rescue officials searched for them until 11 pm.

Searching operations continue Sunday morning with help from scuba divers.

The Nation

[Richard Barrow]

Here are some snippets from the Bangkok Post that should raise some eyebrows:

• A group of villagers known as the Rak Sai Rung conservation group used to patrol the area, watching over tourists and telling them if they noticed approaching mountain torrents.
  
• However, forestry officials banned them, said Prasit Sombatong, chairman of Na Chud Hed tambon administration organisation. He did not give a reason.
  
• Trang forest official Plueang Rattanchawit said no wildlife officials were stationed at the waterfalls even though the areas were crowded with tourists.
  
• The governor conceded that there were no loudspeakers to warn tourists of the looming danger in advance.

Newspaper reports say that there were at least 500 tourists at these waterfalls. Although the flash floods were unseasonable, the fact that local groups had set up volunteers to patrol the area for flash floods shows that this has happened before. So the question is, why didn't the forest officials take this threat seriously enough themselves, and why weren't any of them patrolling the area as there had been heavy rain.

[Khun Don]

Update: Killer flash floods devastate Trang celebrations
BangkokPost.com, Agencies

By nightfall Sunday, authorities had recovered the bodies of 39 Songkran celebrants swept to their death at picturesque waterfalls on a mountain in southern Trang province - 17 of them children. One woman remained unaccounted for.

At least 25 people were injured and more bodies may still be found from the Thai New Year picnic spots, authorities said.

Doctors had allowed 25 injured persons to return home after receiving medical treatment.

Emergency disaster zones had been declared around the popular Sai Rung (Rainbow) and Prai Sawan (Heavenly Forest) waterfalls, where rescuers continued the search for more missing people, Trang governor Anan Manasvanich said.

The government has pledged 50 million baht ($1.5 million) to compensate families and relatives of the victims, he added.

The Public Health Ministry's Narenthorn Centre has been turned into a temporary morgue where the bodies are kept at Yan Ta Khao Hospital.

The flood was caused by unseasonably heavy rains in Trang province, 670 kilometres south of Bangkok. It caught hundreds of people by surprise at popular Sai Rung waterfall, where holidaymakers were picnicking and swimming, said police spokesman Anek Phangleesin.

The fatalities included "many children," authorities said.

Bodies and victims were swept down the river, smashing into trees and rocks along two other waterfalls, including the Praisawan waterfall, 10 kilometres downstream.

The rainy season had not been expected for another two months and the revellers at the popular waterfall did therefore not expect the river to swell so fast, Anek said.

The flash flood came during Thailand's traditional New Year celebration, a long weekend holiday when most people return home to be with family.

At the time the tragedy struck, about 500 tourists were visiting well-known Sai Rung and nearby falls.

Trang Governor Anan mobilised more than 300 rescue workers to comb the areas to search and locate the missing. Search and rescue operations will continue through the night, he said.

Trang provincial authorities have set up an emergency operations centre to facilitate the rescue activities and receive the bodies as they are recovered.

Bodies have so far been transported to Yantakao Hospital.

The governor conceded that there were no loudspeakers to warn tourists of the looming danger in advance.

At least 36 people were confirmed dead at mid-morning on Sunday, with some 50 people injured and missing, a hospital official said.

Pol Maj-Gen Kachorn Siriwan of Trang province said at least 30 people were missing on Saturday night.

"People were enjoying the waterfall and suddenly a flash flood swept over," he said

[Khun Don]

FLASH FLOOD RESCUE WORK ENDS

Poor warnings blamed for waterfall tragedy
KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI

Poor disaster warnings were to blame for the holiday tragedy in which a mountain torrent killed 37 people at two waterfalls in Trang, local villagers said yesterday. ''Fewer people would have died in the flash flood if forestry workers had paid more attention to rainfall levels and signs of run-off arriving from the mountain. Then they could have warned people to stay away,'' said local leader Thongchai Saengchan.

Forestry officials should be held responsible for the tourists' safety, including issuing disaster warnings, because Sai Rung and Phrai Sawan waterfalls, where the tragedy occurred, are in the Banthat Wildlife Sanctuary under the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, he said.

The search and rescue operation at the waterfalls in Yan Ta Khao district ended yesterday. The Public Health Ministry's relief centre at Yan Ta Khao hospital said 37 people died, 23 were injured and one person was missing after Saturday's flash flood.

Mr Thongchai, chairman of the Rak Sai Rung conservation group, said survivors had told him they did not get any warning from forestry workers. The villagers formed the conservation group eight years ago. After a mountain torrent killed four tourists at the waterfall six years ago, the group had concentrated on issuing disaster warnings. This activity was suspended last year after conflicts with wildlife sanctuary officials over forest conservation and tourism management, he said.

Boon Saejung, of the Banthat mountain range community network, said the tragedy would not have happened if forestry officials worked more closely with local villagers.

''Local villagers have the wisdom to protect themselves from natural hazards. Such local knowledge can save tourists' lives, too,'' said Mr Boon.

Sanit Wongsala, chief of the Banthat Wildlife Sanctuary, defended his agency, saying forestry staff had run to alert tourists of a possible flash flood after they noticed heavy rainfall on the mountain-top and the murkiness of the water.

''Unfortunately, we had only four officials at each forestry station at Sai Rung and Phrai Sawan waterfalls, while there were as many as 500 people at each waterfall when the torrent struck,'' said Mr Sanit. ''My staff did their best to save lives.''

The two waterfalls are about 10km apart.

Mr Sanit said he would ask the department to install loudspeakers at the waterfall sites to ensure that tourists get warnings.

Trang governor Anond Manasvanich said 50 million baht would be set aside to cover medical treatment costs and compensate victims' families, who will get 25,000 baht each, he said.

A staff member at Yan Ta Khao hospital said 21 out of 23 injured people had been discharged. All the bodies of those who died had been identified and handed over to relatives, except for the body of a 18-year-old Lao woman, as staff could not find her relatives or employer. Most victims were Trang residents and tourists from neighbouring provinces.

Ratchai Kiartmetha, a survivor from Trang's Huai Yot district who lost his mother in the tragedy, said the flood arrived without any signs.

''We just felt the water get slightly cooler, then suddenly a huge mass of water came down and swept us away,'' said Mr Ratchai

Bangkok Post

[Khun Don]

Warning sirens for Trang waterfalls

TRANG - Flood-warning sirens will be installed at Trang's Sairung and Prai Sawan falls, following the tragedy on Saturday.

The death toll remained at 37, while searches continued Monday for missing tourist Yuwada Choosrirak at Prai Sawan.

National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department deputy director-general Preecha Chansiritanont and related officials flew in a helicopter over the Banthad range to inspect the waterfalls in Yan Ta Khao district.

Preecha said there were many rock piles in those areas and, if there was heavy rainfall, the rocks might roll down the waterfalls and injure people. He has therefore instructed officials to monitor them.

He admitted the department was short of staff when considering the vast area under its supervision, but said technology such as hand-operated sirens would be installed at the two waterfalls, as electrical power was not yet available.

Trang Governor Anont Manaswanich said Monday that related agencies had agreed on two issues in urgent need of solution.

Firstly, there must be watchtowers with loudspeakers and sirens at the falls. Second, the local tambon administration group should participate more as volunteers - alongside forestry officials - in taking care of the waterfalls and visitors.

Anont conceded there were conflicts between forestry officials and an organisation established by villagers to take care of forest land.

He urged all sides to take the tragedy as a lesson, stop their infighting and work together instead.

The Nation

[Richard Barrow]

He urged all sides to take the tragedy as a lesson, stop their infighting and work together instead.

Yes, but six years ago, five tourists died during a flash flood at this exact same waterfall. How many people need to die before lessons are learned? (And exactly how ready are we for another tsunami?) I was watching amateur video of the flash floods on TITV last night shot by tourists. One minute they were having fun splashing in the shallow water and then the next there was a torrent of water. People were stranded in the middle not being able to get back. They were clinging to each other. Slowly, one by one, the river took them away.

[Pailin]

I'm just getting back in town to this news. I called my family, they live about 25km south west of Yantakao (a town that I was recently extolling the charms of in an earlier thread) and they were horrified. All of the sad stories are coming out now about who the victims were. I guess one entire family washed away.... at least they are together?