WEATHER ALERT Phuket Floods Tragedy: Tourist Electrocuted in Patong - Phuket Wan


A grey pall of rain shrouds Phuket City as a torrent troubles the island
Photo by phuketwan.com

Phuket Floods Tragedy: Tourist Electrocuted in Patong

By Chutima Sidasathian and Sert Tongdee
Thursday, August 25, 2011

PHUKET: A young British tourist was electrocuted as a pool of water became live today in contact with a power line as heavy overnight rain turned Patong and much of Phuket into a '' knee-deep flood zone.''

Power was reported to be out along much of Phuket's entire west coast, from Kata Noi to Kamala, with at least one regular scheduled flight unable to land at Phuket airport.

Power authorities were trying to get to the west coast to restore electricity, but were not able to cross flooded sections of roadways. Parts of Patong were said to be ''like a sea'' today.

Traffic early today across Patong Hill between Phuket City and Patong was reported to have been halted by rainwater than rose to knee-deep in places.

Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation officers were at full stretch all over Phuket, working with local councils to try to restore power and road access.

They were particularly concerned about one village in the south Phuket district of Chalong, near the TOT building, where the flooding had been very bad.

The British man, aged 20, died after being taken to Patong Hospital. He was electrocuted near the Ocean department store about 6am, police said.

It is understood he was visiting Patong with a friend. British honorary consul Martin Carpenter has been notified.

Flooding was once a regular feature of almost every downpour in Patong until relatively recently, when a new drainage system was installed.

It is not known why the new system failed to cope with last night's heavy downpour, which began about 9.30pm.

Meteorological officers said today that the rain was expected to continue through until Sunday.

People using small boats were advised that the waves would grow in height on Friday and Saturday.

Phnag Nga and Ranong are likely to experience heavier downpours than Phuket. Landslips will become a greater concern if the rain continues over the next few days.