Phuket landslide death toll reaches 13 as questions emerge over construction on Nak Kerd hill

The death toll from a mudslide in Karon, Phuket, has reached 13 after search teams found all reported missing people, according to the source report.

The slide followed heavy rain and struck homes near the end of Patak Soi 2 behind Wat Kata in Karon subdistrict, Mueang district. The 13 dead comprised two Russians, two Thais and nine Myanmar nationals, though authorities were still working to confirm identities.

The report said the disaster came from the Nak Kerd mountain range in Karon. After the incident, relevant agencies, rescue workers and Phuket disaster prevention officials set up an incident command center behind Wat Kata between Patak Soi 2 and Patak Soi 4 and searched for missing people.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Phuket governor went to the area and announced an end to the search because no additional missing persons had been reported, the report said.

At the same time, questions have emerged online over what may have caused the slope failure. Social media users have raised concerns that construction and a parking area on the summit of Nak Kerd hill may have created a slope that gave way during the heavy rain.

The Phuket Info Center page, which has been posting updates on the disaster, shared aerial photos and video that it said showed construction on the hilltop, a parking area, and a long trail of slid earth running down to the disaster site. In its post, the page said it had received information that the parking area had only recently been built and called on relevant agencies to investigate.

The source report did not include any official finding on the cause of the landslide.