Rescue teams and soldiers are searching for two Myanmar construction workers who went missing after a landslide struck their shelter on Koh Samui early Sunday morning.
The incident occurred at 4 a.m. in a workers’ camp on a mountain slope in Soi Hima Thong, tambon Maret, where a resort development project is underway. The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, buried one of the shelters.
According to Pornchai Subprasert, head of the Samui Rescue Center, eight workers were asleep when they were awakened by a loud noise. “Initially, the two missing Myanmar workers were partially buried and calling for help,” he said. “Others tried to rescue them but had to retreat as another landslide completely engulfed the two men.”
Rescue operations involving soldiers, construction workers, and a backhoe are ongoing, but efforts are hampered by unstable ground and concerns over further mudslides due to continued rain. The Hydro-Informatics Institute reported over 200mm of rainfall on Koh Samui in the 24 hours leading up to the landslide.
The Department of Mineral Resources had warned on Saturday that Koh Samui and the nearby Koh Phangan faced medium to high landslide risks.
Officials and workers remain at the scene, taking precautions to avoid further casualties while continuing the search for the missing workers.
