PHUKET: A reader sent this photograph to Phuketwan today that makes the road over Patong Hill look as though it is heading for the bottom of the hill.
Another reader, on the way to Kamala, sent the message: ''The road 200m past patong hill temple has completely gone. Fallen down the mountain.''
However, telephone calls to the Phuket Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation failed to produce any kind of alarm.
Perhaps they haven't seen it.
Well, here it is. Or here it was.
The truth is, we learned after a couple more phone calls, that nobody can say for certain whether the Patong Hill road will disappear or not.
There are serious concerns for its future if more heavy rain falls.
While the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has been warning Phuket about the potential for landslips and slides, the Patong Hill road is not their responsibility..
The ascent from Kathu on the Phuket City side is the responsibility of the tessaban Kathu council to maintain. Beyond the temple it becomes the responsibility of the Roads Department.
Today's dramatic slide is in the Roads Department territory. But there has already been one other earlier slide lower down, in the council's territory.
Kathu council admit they need to change the powerline going up the hill from the temple side of the ascending road to the other side of the road. The likelihood of losing more poles is too great.
But no work can be carried out until after dry weather arrives, in case there are more landslides.
The Phuket Governor, Tri Augkaradacha, has already announced that the Phuket Province emergency fund will cover the cost of urgent repairs.
But major repairs cannot be carried out until authorities are certain that more rain is not on the way.
All the authorities would like to warn motorists going over the hill - the main artery that links Patong with Phuket City and the real world - to be careful. It's dangerous.
Phuketwan thank the readers who alerted us to the crisis and particularly the person who sent the dramatic photo.
We hope there is no need for further alarm, and that dry weather comes fast.
Hang in there, Patong Hill. Help is on the way.
It doesn't inspire confidence that the authorities had patched up the road and even laid fresh tarmac to complete the repair and the next day it all goes down.
Posted by soupdragon on October 19, 2011 14:06