Tidal wave hits Phuket

[KitKat]

This morning a number of tidal waves hit Phuket as a result of the earthquake in Indonesia and there has been quite a bit of damage and a few deaths along the west coast (including Kata, Karon and Patong) and the airport has been closed. According to reports tourists from the west coast are all being evacuated.

I don't live on the west coast and where I live hasn't been affected but I just thought someone had better post the info in case people are planning on traveling here in the next few days. I'm sure some of our Patong/west coast residents will be able to give more info when more is known.

 

[Judas Jones II]

Ive just heard on BBC news that the death toll at the moment in Phuket is said to be 14 people. The Thai goverenment is also said to be evacuating a number of regions of the west coast of thailand.

I hope that all bm's there at the moment are fine and dry! And of course that Nicke and the rest of the staff of MTB are ok too!

Si

 

[DizzyLorii]

Town is wrecked... Beach rd devastated.. Bangla beaten up until around the Tiger..

Anther one is due any minute...

 

[Mr Jim]

Oh, oh! Hope all you guys(and ladies) in Patong are OK! Please let us know the situation there!

 

[Amerikan Pirat]

Just finished talking to several of my contacts in Phuket.... residents/tourists along west coast being told to move toward Phuket Town as another wave is expected to hit between 4pm and 5pm.

 

[Pompal 09.]

There are reports about the situation in Patong from Nicke. LivinLOS, and others in the EXPATS section here on the forum . They are OK, but at least four falangs were washed out to sea and there is a lot of damage on Beach Rd., some damage on Bangla and water as far as Rat-U-Thit.

 

[Tyuio]

This is terrible news, ive woke up to it in sky news,am i having a nightmare.

It looks bad around phuket, thai officials 61 dead so far and lots missing.

Hope everyone there is ok, any more updates anyone, this is shocking.

I mysely am due to fly on thursday ,whats happening

 

[shine on benevolent sun]

I tried to depart BKK for Phuket this morning and my flight was canceled while I was at the BKK airport waiting to board. All they said was flooding. I took a cab back to my hotel in BKK and luckily got a room, then found out about the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. At first I thought about trying again tomorrow, but those hopes are fading fast. I guess there are worse things than being stuck in Bkk, but I was looking forward to seeing my Phuket friends at Captain Kirk's etc.

 

[highshoes]

OMG, I can't believe this.

Would like to say that I hope all BM's are safe and well and that I am thinking about everyone that has been affected by the Tsunami.

Regards,

Gary

 

[The Penguin IS BACK!]

This is very bad! Never heard anything like this happening in Phuket!

Terrible for all these people who are dead and those who lost everything!!!

Hey bm's let us know if you are allright!!!!

And of course, Mr Bush our planet do not need any care! :bangin: :aao:

 

[nibinaearr]

I am deeply saddened to hear this, I only just woke up and heard the news, my heart goes out to the victims not just in thailand but the whole of asia, in particular it looks like Sri lanka has been the worst hit.

I hope and that all the bm's are safe.




PHUKET: The tidal wave that hit Phuket this morning has claimed the lives of 35 people and injured some 355, Wisut Romin, the Deputy Secretary of Phuket Provincial Administration Office, has announced.

Speaking at the emergency rescue headquarters set up at the Phuket Provincial Office, K. Wisut said that an earlier report had recorded that 11 people died at Kata Beach, and nine more died at Nai Yang, where some 91 people were injured and unknown number of people have since disappeared.

K. Wisut added that three people died at Patong, two died at Nai Harn, another two died at Rassada Port, in Phuket City, and two more died at Kamala, where about 150 people were injured.

Government officers and police are currently working to evacuate coastal areas in anticipation of another aftershock wave.

A warning has been issued on local radio stations for people to stay away from the beaches, particularly those at Patong, Kata, Karon, Rawai and Kamala.

Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has also ordered doctors with private clinics to remain to treat any person injured to try to alleviate the load on the island’s hospitals, which have been inundated with injured since the wave hit Phuket.

 

[Tera]

Tidal wave toll rises


PHUKET: An unconfirmed 22 people have died and more than 1,000 people have sought refuge at the Phuket Provincial Office in Phuket City after Phuket’s coast was swamped by a tidal surge caused by an earthquake off Sumatra this morning.

Waters off Phuket surged onto land, washing away homes on the east coast and causing damage at resorts all along the west coast.

The Gazette has received an unconfirmed report that 22 people have died, 19 of them were at Patong.

Patong resident and Gazette columnist Woody Leonard reported, “A giant wave went up the beach, at least as far up as Beach Rd … People were running from the beach as fast as they could. The beach is devastated … There were a lot of people on the beach, [and they were] swept away by the wave.”

The waters reached as far inland as the Club Andaman Resort, some 150 meters inland.

The Gazette received a separate report that several people at Kalim, in Thalang, were killed in the surge, though that report has yet to be confirmed.

Kawee Sukunthamath, Chief of the Phuket Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), has told the Gazette that homes along the east and west coasts are being evacuated as a precaution in anticipation of an aftershock expected to arrive at about 3 pm.

A warning has been issued on local radio stations asking people to stay away from the beaches until further notice.

All flights inbound and outbound from Phuket International Airport have been canceled until further notice, and the Sarasin and Tao Thepkrasattri Bridges, the only roads on and off the island, have also been closed as a precaution

Wachira Phuket Hospital has reported two dead, both Thai, and has admitted 56 injured people, two of them foreigners.

At 11 am, Phuket International Hospital confirmed that at least 10 people had been admitted for serious injuries, and that many more were expected to arrive.

At Bangkok Phuket Hospital, many other injured people had been received, though a total could not be provided.

At Khao Khat, on the east coast, waters reached up to about 300 meters inland, washing coastal homes and vehicles away. People were holding on to whatever they could to stop from being swept away.

K. Kawee said that the tremors were also felt in Phang Nga, Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Pattani. The Gazette has received a report that the surge left a Royal Thai Navy ship at Tab Lamu naval base beached.

 

[Mvita]

meant to be there in 3 days time.... in bangkok now i think i will try to stay here.... hope all BM'S are ok

 

[rosan]

Or perhaps you could go pattaya for the great nightlife...have fun mate.

 

[LAgirl]

Saw it on the news! It is terrible! All those pople lost lives/houses/jobs!

This situation requieres some action! I think something must be done to support the victims! as we love this region, I think we should organise something!

 

[Pompal 09.]

I would be happy to make a donation myself.

 

[Alex (the chick version)]

200 at least dead on Phi Phi... 35 at least Krabi...

At the moment 1000's missing but no one can work out missing injured or what...

Mobiles simply dont work.. network is jammed...

 

[Billys]

It looks as the hell had felt down on paradise

I tried to reach some friends in Kamala, but it is impossible. Mobile network must be down or simply overcharged.

The victims reported are more and more minute by minute. Difficult to stay in Europe right now and just be able to wait for some news from the people we know.

 

[wraseOrierFaf]

I made it okay to Baghdad Christmas Day....and this is making all my problems and troubles seem very small and trivial. Been trying to get ahold of my fiance, no luck so far!!! She is due to return from her village tomorrow, I am hoping she didn't return early!!! Guess I keep trying!!!!

Maybe a dumb idea, but many of us have BM friends on this forum who are in Patong right now. Is there any way to post a roll call of BMs on here? It's pretty well known who is there, most of that information is already available on here (board members on tour maybe?). Someone start a thread of a list of names of who was in Patong and general area beforehand and as they are spotted around town, or you hear they are okay, just check off the names. No need for long posting, just check off the name that they are accounted for. It would be some work, but would put some minds at ease.

Any BMs there need any assistance with ANYTHING.....pm me. I am not a one man walking disaster relief....but I am more than willing to do what I can to help.

 

[I DJ WEDDINGS]

Oh , what to say , a very sad day for LOS and the rest of Asia .. i hope every on is okay even if i havn´t met you IRL !
I wanted to go Phuket this X-mas but my friend wanted to go later ... i called him and said Thanx to day .. some how cold Sweden feels more safe right now

Take Care!

cs//