A backhoe was engaged to clear the soil and debris that had been dumped at the houses rear in the early hours of Wednesday, resulting in all the occupants of the properties being evacuated to safer locations.
Ratsada Mayor, Karin Yosaengrat, oversaw the cleanup operation and was joined by a team of engineers who inspected the Tepburi village site.
The backhoe was also used to dig a drainage tunnel to allow free flow of water to mitigate any chance of a repeat situation. The process took time and was sensitive, officials stated, as removing the soil from below could compromise the soil above which could potentially fall and slide down again.
The official reports did not state how long the cleanup operation was expected to last or when it may be deemed safe for the residents to return to their properties.
Officials did confirm, however, that remedial measures will be taken to compensate those impacted by the landslip as all properties are privately owned and situated on private land.
Thankfully, nobody was harmed in Wednesday’s incident, unlike the unfortunate victims of the landslide in Karon last Friday (Aug 23) where 13 people lost their lives.
Further incidents due to heavy rainfall occurred on Wednesday in Kamala, Layan and Cherng Talay, although thankfully nobody was killed or sustained any injury of note.
Widespread construction across the island , which is reaching record levels, has been blamed as the principal factor for landslides and flooding with experts predicting there may be worse to come as the monsoon season reaches its peak next month.